111%

Listed below are just some of the gigs that, based on positive F2F interviews, I really thought were mine...only to receive no callback, having presumably been pipped at the post by a more suitable candidate.

Report writer for a private detective agency

They liked the fact I was studying English, had won a scholastic prize from the local newspaper and dabbled in creative writing. I think the deal-breaker was that I didn’t have a car. (The office was a long way from where I was living, and I imagine there were occasional late nights involved.) My Dirk Gently fantasies dashed, I never applied for this sort of position again.

Video store attendant

With plenty of customer-service experience, including a stint as an usher, I was confident. Especially when the manager lady kept making encouraging comments like, "I'm glad you're so tall - I'll be able to get you to put up all of the posters for me." As it was, she didn't get me to do anything. My "Clerks" fantasies dashed, I never applied for this sort of position again.

Salesman(?) for a web search engine

If that sounds vague, then so was the classified advert, and the chap who interviewed me was downright enigmatic. He spouted conspiracy theories for 30+ minutes, before announcing, "So, Adam, the answer is yes." What the actual question was remains unknown. My backdoor-into-the-IT-industry fantasies dashed, I never applied for this sort of position again.

There were numerous other "jobs that got away", but I was memory-jogged about this trio recently while discussing ancient employment history with a colleague. Did you notice my strategy for dealing with rejection? :-)