I recently interviewed for an HR Operations role, and my experience was disappointing. The process started with a conversation with the Talent Acquisition Manager, where we discussed my experience and qualifications. Shortly after I began explaining my experience, the interviewer abruptly stopped me and said, "You're not the right fit for this role. This is more of a glorified assistant position, and you're too qualified." That caught me off guard. If that was their impression from the start, why bring me in for an interview? I read the job description thoroughly before applying and knew the role leaned more operational than strategic—which is exactly why I was interested. I wanted to gain more experience in the operational side of HR. If my background didn’t align with what they wanted, that could have been assessed before the interview rather than wasting both of our time. This experience highlighted how important it is for companies to refine their screening processes. If someone’s qualifications seem like a mismatch, it’s worth having a transparent conversation before scheduling an interview, rather than dismissing them mid-conversation.