CEO rejects job candidate, claiming it's due to their failure to list any weaknesses, job candidate accuses CEO of being a bad interviewer: ‘Working with him sounds exhausting’

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 28, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

No one likes being rejected from a job, and still, even rejections can range between good and bad.

A bad rejection is one where you get a vague email, written in a template the hiring manager has been using for years, that doesn't give you any explanation why you didn't get the job.

A good rejection is one where you actually get constructive criticism that will help you in your next interview, that contains an apology from the hiring manager, and genuine encouragement to contact them in the future.

Some view the rejection in the story below as the latter, while the person who received it is sure it is the former. They claimed that the entire interview with the CEO was done poorly, mainly because it seemed like the CEO was not interested in their skills whatsoever. Others think that the CEO was very respectful and was helpful with his feedback, but that is not how the job candidate sees it when they read the rejection email.

Keep scrolling to read the full story. After that, check out this story of a neighborly dispute caused by a group of kids and their disregard for a property fence.

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  • 01

    I had an interview with a startup CEO, and I think I dodged a bullet.

    I had a 25-minute interview with the British CEO of a London-based startup and this is the rejection email I received.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 02
    to me V 5:45 AM ↑ Hi Thank you so much for your interest in the role and for taking the time to speak to me. Unfortunately, we are not going to progress with your application on this occasion. While you have experience and expertise that would prove very valuable to and you aced a lot of the criteria. There were a couple of instances where I struggled to get to your weaknesses or growth areas. You weren't able to tell me why someone would not hire you, or give any true constructive feedback. Som
    via NeatIll2631
  • 03
    He asked me about feedback I've received and implemented from a colleague, which I answered, and if there's someone who might think I'm not suitable for the role.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 04
    I'm unsure of what answer he was looking for for that question, but I answered with something to the effect of, "Since I worked in the industry of this role, I don't think anyone would object to me getting the position.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 05
    I'm happy to give you references of people that have worked with me to support that." He also asked me, "What's something you do better than anyone else?" I just find these to be really mediocre questions to assess a candidate's personality and ability to do a role.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 06
    I don't think a CEO should be leading the charge of hiring, but I think this is a common phenomenon in startups?
    via NeatIll2631
  • 07
    And I finished that interview feeling uneasy. He didn't ask me anything about my skills. I considered withdrawing my application, but wanted to see how it'd play out.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 08
    Working with him sounds exhausting.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 09
    Man Interviewing a Woman
    via MART PRODUCTION

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    Leila Majnouni He's put himself in charge of hiring because he has a very specific culture that he wants to build, where people focus on flaws and weaknesses (a "growth mindset"). If he didn't ask you about your quantifiable contributions then he's hiring for personality. I guarantee he also thinks he's some kind of proto-Elon talent spotting genius. The test he set for you is coming up with self- critical responses and applying again so he can see you understood the assignment.
    via LeilaMajnouni
  • 11
    OP Neat|||2631 He did not ask me about quantifiable contributions, no.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 12
    SeeingHermit Most of these questions aren't really unusual. What was the feedback you answered with and how you implemented it? The "What is your biggest weakness" question does have a purpose and it's not "How well can someone pretend they have no weaknesses?" just for the record. He didn't QUITE ask that but it's basically what he was asking.
    via SeeingHermit
  • 13
    OP Neat|||2631 Hi! The feedback was that I needed to be more sociable at work. It was an honest instance of feedback I received from a manager. And I told the CEO that it was something I took to heart and I made a point to change that by being more involved in work events and socializing with coworkers. The CEO said "true constructive feedback" in the email, so I don't know what else I'm supposed to do about that. I really don't have any life- changing or poignant instance of feedback I've recei
    via NeatIll2631
  • 14
    SeeingHermit Yeah, you skirted the point of the question with an answer like that. It's a really really common interview question that people expect you to have an answer to. So prepare one that's more in depth. I can't tell much about them from this interaction and story. I can't tell much about you either though. And that's kind of the point. They wanted to get a view into something and they don't know whether you hid it or you just didn't realize how to answer it. But the first would be decep
    via SeeingHermit
  • 15
    OP Neat|||2631 Yeah, I'll just lie about it.
    via NeatIll2631
  • 16
    Reverse-Recruiterman That CEO is learning how to be a CEO just as much as you are trying to find work. It's all the same. We all just squirrels in a world looking for a nut.
    via Reverse-Recruiterman
  • 17
    Throwawayhelp111521 It sounds like you dodged questions that were important to him. It's a rather cordial rejection letter. It actually gave you feedback on how to do better in the future and told you to stay in touch.
    via Throwawayhelp111521
  • 18
    Individual_Refuse_30 You might have dodged a bullet but you won't know. I expected much worse. This feedback is actually quite good, with his emphasis on weaknesses, being able to recognize them, therefore, learn from these is a valid point. In terms of what you mentioned, if you are unsure of what interviewer wants, ASK -- I think many people are afraid to ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand what is being asked of you. It's a pretty standard thing to do and can help tremendously.
    via Individual_Refuse_30
  • 19
    colorfulraccoon This sub blows my mind sometimes. These are normal questions. I'd also avoid candidates that can't tell me their growth areas and constructive feedback they've received in the past and how they implemented that. In an interview I want to know about your profile and soft skills just as much as your tech skills. If you don't know your growth areas, it doesn't matter how much you bring to the table in hard skills. That tells me you have a very junior profile, no matter your skills.
    via colorfulraccoon
  • 20
    [deleted] Bro these CEOs are out of their minds. Recently an interview I was asked about what jobs I did in highschool and what kind of international travel I had done. They were thrilled that I had worked in a yogurt shop before. Mind you this is for a data engineering position...
    via [deleted]
  • 21
    solarnewbee As the Brits say, keep calm and carry on. He's hiring for personality and fit with \\him\\ and if you didn't jive in 25 mins, there's no point in going further as it's totally subjective. In this case, there's nothing meaningful to learn, IMO, so just keep going until you do find a CEO that syncs up with \\you\\.
    via solarnewbee
  • 22
    Cheezburger Image 10568242944
    via Creativa Images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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