I recently went through a frustrating job offer experience. I was hired for an entry-level HR position after a lengthy interview process that started in May and dragged on until July. They took their time, saying they wanted to ensure a good fit, which I initially thought was fair. After a month and a half, they finally invited me for coffee, and the next day I received the job offer. I asked for a week to consider it, which they agreed to, and proposed a start date. However, I needed to push that start date back by one day due to a prior trip. They assured me this was fine and were excited for me to join the team. The following day, I received a call saying they were rescinding the offer because it wouldn't be fair to other applicants to wait a week for my decision, and my proposed start date didn't align with their needs. I offered to adjust my trip to accommodate their timeline, but it was too late. I have a theory about what happened: they might have been trying to filter out candidates who had better leverage by making the process long and arduous. My request for time to consider the offer may have made me seem more competent, which could have raised concerns about me negotiating for better terms. It's puzzling, and I'm left wondering what went wrong from their perspective.