A Delhi jobseeker who traveled to Hyderabad for an interview, spending approximately ₹14,000 on flight tickets, was reportedly turned down in just 10 minutes, sparking a wider discussion online about hiring practices, travel reimbursements, and the growing desperation among candidates in a tough job market.
The Reddit Post
A user on the r/delhi forum of Reddit shared the incident, stating that he works in industrial fermentation and had been shortlisted for a fermentation-related role at a major pharma company in Hyderabad. The user did not name the company, later clarifying in the comments that his goal was to share the experience, not to target a specific employer.
In the post titled “Flew from Delhi to Hyderabad for an interview, spent ₹14k, got rejected in 10 minutes,” the user expressed feeling “cheated and angry” after traveling across the country for what he thought would be a serious technical evaluation.
Shortlisted but Rejected
The Reddit user said that the company had shortlisted him after reviewing his profile, leading him to believe his experience was relevant for the role. He wrote, “I thought they had gone through my experience and found it good enough to call me as they shortlisted me after seeing my profile.” He took time off from work, prepared for several days, and traveled from Delhi to Hyderabad, spending nearly ₹14,000 on flight tickets alone.
However, upon arriving at the venue, he sensed something was off. He was among the first to arrive and expected to be called early, but instead, the HR staff began interacting mostly in Telugu and called Telugu-speaking or local candidates ahead of him. He observed that many interviews seemed to last around 20 to 30 minutes, but when it was finally his turn, the interview lasted only about 10 minutes.
Lack of Technical Evaluation
The user stated that he answered the questions asked but felt he wasn’t given a real chance to demonstrate his knowledge. He wrote, “No technical discussion in detail. No deep ferment questions. No chance to really show what I knew.” He added, “I saw him scrolling down to ‘not suitable’ on my form.” The user expressed frustration, saying, “I didn’t feel rejected based on knowledge. I felt rejected before the interview really even started.”
He acknowledged that he might be wrong and that the rejection could be due to an experience mismatch, but he questioned why he was shortlisted if his profile was not suitable. “Why would you have somebody spend their money coming across the country to fire them in 10 minutes?” he asked. He also checked with the company’s HR about travel reimbursement but was told there was no approval.
Online Reactions
Other Reddit users quickly responded, with many discussing that companies should pay for the travel of outstation candidates when calling them for an in-person interview. Some suggested that if an employer requires a face-to-face interview in another city, they should either pay for travel or at least explain reimbursement policies upfront.
One commenter wrote, “Name the company and why would you not ask the company to issue you the tickets?” Another added, “Yeah like what the f**k, it’s supposed to be sponsored by them.” However, not everyone agreed on automatic reimbursement. One user noted that in a busy job market, companies often do not pay for travel because there are many candidates willing to turn up at their own expense.
Some commenters suggested the candidate should have requested a video interview before booking flights. The original poster later added that he had emailed the company a week prior to inquire about an online interview due to the travel involved but did not receive a response. He wrote, “I travelled because the job market is hard and opportunities like this don’t come along often.”
Language and Regional Bias
The issue of language and regional bias also emerged as a sensitive topic. The Reddit user noted that local candidates appeared to get more time and attention, and some commenters shared their own experiences of feeling at a disadvantage in interviews outside their home states. Others cautioned against assuming bias just because an interview did not go well.
One user asked, “Do we assume bias if someone doesn't crack an interview?” Another added, “Also, just because you made the shortlist doesn’t mean the job is yours.” The original poster clarified that he never assumed being shortlisted meant the job was guaranteed. He wrote, “It’s not the rejection that gets to me. It was that after flying across the country my interview was done in about 10 minutes while a few local candidates appeared to get much longer discussions. I didn’t feel like I was actually evaluated before a decision was made.”
Company Not Named
The user repeatedly refused to identify the employer, stating, “I don't want to mention the name of the company.... I want to share about my experience, not to bash a specific employer. If I said the same name, it would very easily turn into speculation and accusations, and I'd rather not do that.”
Broader Implications
The post highlights a growing tension in India’s white-collar and specialist job market. While candidates are increasingly willing to incur significant financial and personal costs for opportunities, companies tend to keep hiring processes opaque. Uncertainty about travel reimbursement, interview format, number of rounds, and evaluation criteria can make a job opportunity a costly gamble for outstation candidates.
Although the allegations in the Reddit post could not be independently verified and the company was not named, the discussion echoes a broader frustration among jobseekers who feel employers need to be more transparent when asking candidates to travel long distances.
Practical Advice
The message for many users was practical: never assume you will get paid, get it in writing, ask for an online screening round first, and find out if the company will pay for travel before spending money on flights. As one commentator put it, “Reimbursement is always being talked about for this reason.” The original poster’s reply was brief: “Lesson learnt….”
