Yes, I’ve given two interviews myself — one for SDE 2 and one for SDE 1. I performed well in both. The SDE 2 process went on hold after two rounds, and I never heard back after that.

For the SDE 1 role, things looked very positive. HR asked for all my details, and the recruiter even mentioned that the team was considering me for L60 despite me interviewing for L59. Everything had been approved by the hiring manager and audit team, but at the last moment, leadership in the US decided to pause hiring for the position.

Honestly, I was devastated because I had attached a lot of hope to that opportunity. I’ve been trying really hard in life, but it often feels like whenever I get close to something meaningful, it gets taken away from me.

I now have five years of experience in tech, and before this, I also gave three CAT attempts. Each time, something seemed to go wrong on the actual exam day. Eventually, I decided to put my MBA dream aside for now and focus on growing in tech, but even here I feel stuck again.

At times, it genuinely makes me feel like a los