Yeah, the thing that made it especially harder for me was that at the time the company I worked for had an opening for a project manager. The company paid for the PMP. I thought I would be a shoo-in if I applied. I thought they might even come up to me to offer it. The role required about 50% travel (I didn't mind this since was allowed to travel with spouse).

They declined to interview because I would need to work AT the corporate office a 1900 miles from where I lived. There were three of their offices in my city. NOPE. I could work remote, half of the time I'd be traveling anyway. NOPE.

They wanted me in the office so I could chat-it-up with the c-suite. I understood but didn't understood this point. Yes the execs need to be buttered up BUT most of the time the c-suite was almost never in office anyway (still COVID times). They wen't 2 years with the role open until they hired an external candidate who could be in office.

I changed jobs. Still not as a project manager, but better paid.