akikosquid's journey

I recently had a series of screening calls that left me feeling uncertain about how to navigate the interview process, particularly regarding what recruiters want to hear. My first call was for an events position at a hostel company. The recruiter asked if I intended to stay with the company after my internship. I sensed she was hoping for a positive answer, but since I’m applying for jobs in a foreign country and am on a visa, I honestly said I wasn’t sure. This led to her saying, "Oh, we’ll let you know the result on Friday!" which I interpreted as a rejection. My second screening was for an event-related role at a med tech company. The recruiter inquired about my experience with booking hotels. I shared that I had organized expos but didn’t have direct experience representing a specific company. I think my honesty here didn’t work in my favor, as I was rejected again. The third call was for a communications and creative marketing role at a charity. I prepared thoroughly and referenced a relevant campaign from my past experience. During the panel interview, I felt good about my contributions until they asked me to critique one of their social media posts. I froze up because I believed their strategy was misaligned with their target audience, but I didn’t have the courage to express that directly. Instead, I gave a vague answer about improving engagement, which didn’t seem to impress them. I’ve noticed a pattern where my international experience sometimes doesn’t resonate with recruiters, possibly because it’s not aligned with their expectations. As someone who is neurodivergent, I struggle to read social cues, which complicates things further. I’m looking for advice on how to improve my interview skills and better align my responses with what recruiters are looking for. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!