I've been job hunting for the past few months and wanted to share my experience and seek advice. I have about 3 years of full-stack development experience, specifically with the MERN stack. During this time, I've gone through several interviews and have consistently made it to the second or third rounds. I feel confident in my technical skills, as I can usually answer around 90% of the questions in those rounds. However, despite my efforts, I've faced repeated rejections in the final stages, often receiving generic feedback or no feedback at all. I'm curious about the hiring process from the perspective of recruiters and hiring managers. Is it common for companies to continue interviewing candidates even when they have a preferred candidate in mind? Do teams typically complete scheduled interviews for comparison or as a backup option? For those involved in hiring, what are some common reasons a candidate who performs well throughout the interview process might still be rejected at the end? I'd really appreciate any honest insights or similar experiences from recruiters, hiring managers, and fellow developers.