I recently had a phone screen with a Talent Acquisition partner for a Salesforce opportunity — a role I was genuinely excited about. Unfortunately, the conversation didn’t go as smoothly as expected. The recruiter spent the first few minutes searching for my profile and confirming whether I had applied for the position. She even asked me to share my LinkedIn profile mid-call, which gave the impression that she wasn’t fully prepared for our meeting. During our discussion, she mentioned that there were currently no open roles for their HubSpot location — which was confusing, since the posting clearly stated Alberta (Remote) as the location. She suggested I reach out again in two months, though I sensed that might have been a polite way to close the conversation. To her credit, when I asked for feedback on becoming a stronger candidate, she took the time to share some valuable insights. She emphasized using the STAR method for interview responses and gave practical advice on how to approach questions about OTE expectations. For that, I truly appreciated her honesty and effort. A few days later, I received the rejection email on October 28th. Of course, it stung — I was really looking forward to bringing my passion for Tech Sales and solution-driven mindset to Salesforce. But as every great salesperson knows, persistence is key. We keep showing up, refining our pitch, and selling value until the deal closes. I firmly believe this wasn’t my “no,” just my “not yet.” One day, I will work for Salesforce — and when that day comes, I’ll look back on this experience as just another stepping stone toward my goal.