I applied through the Akamai Career Site in October. After two weeks, I received a call for Round 1—a 1-hour technical interview conducted on HackerRank. I was informed that the process would include three technical rounds and one HR round. Round 1 went well, and I was confident I would move forward. Shortly after, I was invited for Round 2 an in-person interview at the Akamai Bengaluru office with the Hiring Manager. I was surprised to learn that I was the only candidate asked to attend in person, while others were offered virtual interviews. The discussion went smoothly, and the Hiring Manager even suggested that I prepare for Round 3. Since the role required 0–2 years of experience and I had 1 year, I genuinely believed I was progressing. However, after three weeks of consistently following up through calls and emails with HR, TA, and the recruiter—with no response—I finally received an email stating that I had been rejected. This was disappointing and confusing. It’s discouraging to see that candidates giving virtual interviews (where the chances of malpractice can be higher) may advance more easily, while those going through a more rigorous in-person evaluation face rejection. Just because some candidate is from Top College the other candidate shouldn't be judged.