‘I billed them for my time—and they paid’: Job applicant speaks out after grueling 7-interview process ends in rejection

In a rare turn of events, a job candidate who underwent a lengthy hiring process—seven interviews and two assessments—successfully invoiced the company for their time after being rejected. The story, originally shared on Reddit, has since gone viral for its candid take on burnout, fairness, and the increasingly exhaustive nature of modern recruitment.

“This was my second time going through 7 interviews and not getting the job,” the candidate wrote. While they acknowledged that a previous similar experience ended on good terms, this time was different.

“I had 7 interviews and 2 assessments which is way too much ‘free work’ to ask,” the post reads. “One assessment I get, given that the roles I’m applying for are quite senior and pay $160-200K plus. But this went too far.”

What makes the situation more frustrating, they say, is that the rejection came after apparent signs of a job offer. “I went through the whole process, met the team and when I got to the end the CEO chatted about checking my references and making an offer,” the Redditor explained.

But the opportunity abruptly vanished. “Then out of the blue they turned me down because I’m self-employed currently,” they said, highlighting the fact that they had disclosed this from the very beginning of the process. “I was very honest about being self-employed and that I run my own agency, since the first question, in the first interview—so putting me through the rest of the process was BS.”

Rather than quietly walking away, the candidate confronted the CEO directly. “I chatted to the CEO, he took responsibility for it. I told him in this situation I’m gonna bill him for my time—he agreed.”

In a surprising outcome, the company paid the invoice the same day.

But despite the resolution, the experience left a bitter taste. “Honestly wtf is going on? I’m so over these long recruiting processes,” they added. “They also ghosted me for a while—I had to follow up myself. There’s zero sense of treating you like a human being.”

The post has resonated with many job seekers, particularly those applying for senior roles, who say they’ve been subjected to long, unpaid assessments and unclear communication.

While most companies would balk at paying candidates for their time, this incident could mark a shift in the conversation about what constitutes reasonable expectations in a hiring process—especially in a job market where transparency and fairness are becoming increasingly important to top talent.