Chapter 15

Knowing Victoria, Susie sent the résumé back after making corrections. "All done. I've fixed it for you." Victoria downloaded and reviewed it. It didn't seem all that different. Things were just worded a little differently. "A résumé is like a raw photo straight from the camera. You have to learn to add some filters and edits." Susie knew Victoria was highly capable but not skilled at self-promotion. In other words, Victoria was the type to quietly work hard and let her results speak for herself. But the professional world wasn't like school, and good grades weren't enough. In many companies, the higher-ups valued social skills more than job performance. Even if someone wasn't the best at their work, their ability to navigate office politics could still earn them promotions. "Seriously, do you want to work for me? I can make you an artist, a model, an influencer, or whatever you want. You compose music, don't you? I can get a singer to collaborate with you." Susie made a sincere offer. "No thanks." Victoria wasn't interested in being in the public eye. She didn't want her personal life scrutinized and just wanted to live an ordinary life. "I bet if I told you to quit job hunting and that I'd support you financially, you'd refuse too." Susie sighed and knew how stubborn Victoria was, so she didn't push further. "Fine then. Keep looking, but if it doesn't work out, come to me." Victoria agreed and submitted more job applications with the revised résumé after hanging up. To her surprise, it worked. She received multiple interview invitations within a short time. As if her unlucky streak had finally ended, her interviews went smoothly as she effortlessly passed the first and second rounds. But something strange happened—every single final interview ended in rejection. "My apologies. After a comprehensive evaluation, we found that your skills don't match the position. You did not pass the final round." "Ms. Victoria Smith, we regret to inform you that you did not pass our final interview." "Hello. After careful consideration, we believe your qualifications are not the best fit for our company's needs…" It was as if they all agreed in advance to do this. Every company rejected her. As Victoria received one call after another, her hopes sank further. They'd all praised her during the second-round interviews, and the final interviews had gone well too. Why were they all rejecting her now? When another call came in, she knew what to expect. "Hello, Ms. Smith," the caller greeted her professionally. Victoria cut straight to the point and asked, "I didn't pass the final round, right?" The caller hesitated briefly and seemed caught off guard. "That's correct." "Can I ask why? I remember ranking among the top candidates in the first two rounds." Victoria was starting to doubt herself. "Your skills aren't the right match for the job," the caller replied. "If that were the case, I would've been eliminated in the second round, but every final round rejected me with the same feedback. They all said that I don't match the position." Victoria was desperate for an answer. Hearing her words, the HR representative glanced at the message their boss had sent and silently apologized. Victoria pressed, "Are you still there?" "This was an instruction from the higher-ups. Best of luck finding a job." The HR representative didn't elaborate. With that, they hung up and weren't interested in continuing the conversation. Just as Victoria started doubting her abilities, a text from an unknown number appeared on her screen. "The higher-ups have given orders not to hire you. Think about who you might've offended."