I interviewed for the partner round which was supposed to be 30 mins but it lasted only 9 mins. on top of that my answers were very short and i did not show enthusiast about the job nor seemed to have done some research. I did do but i was panicking so much that the moment the interview started i got a blank. plus when he asked me whether i have any questions for me twice i said no. The partner did smile and seemed interested but still not sure. To top it all, after the hr contacted me to move to partner round they reposted the same job role THAT SAME DAY. Idk why but my gut feeling is screaming that maybe the technical interviewer did not want to reject me for their round but instead for the partner round so as to keep me as an option for now until they get their 'perfect' candidate. btw, im a fresh graduate and i dont fit the role at all but they said they will provide me training plus i did not apply for that role but for some other role but maybe they got my resume from their db mixed up or something.
First, I'd suggest to slow down. Nothing here is as definitive as it feels.
A short partner interview is not automatically a rejection. Partner rounds are often unstructured. Sometimes the partner decides very early that they have enough to form a view, or that the role itself is not what they need - independent of the candidate. Short usually means “decision reached,” not “candidate failed.”
Saying you had no questions is not ideal, but it is rarely decisive, especially for a fresh graduate. Partners do not reject solely because someone froze at the end. Panic happens more often than people admit.
The role being reposted the same day is also not a signal. Job postings are often automated, kept open intentionally, or reused for multiple profiles. They are not switched on and off based on one interview.
Your gut story about being kept as a backup is very likely over-interpretation. That is not how these processes usually work. Much more plausible explanations are:
- seniority or role mismatch becoming clear late
- internal ambiguity on what profile they actually want
- the partner realizing the role expectations do not fit a fresh graduate, regardless of interview performance
If this does not work out, the most likely reason is positioning and role fit, not the 9 minutes or your answers.
What I would do now:
- wait. Do not send follow-ups trying to explain or justify
- if rejected, ask HR explicitly about role fit and seniority
- separately, work on interview nerves. Freezing is a skill issue, not a capability issue, and it is very fixable
One final thought: strong candidates often feel worst after interviews where expectations were unclear. Weak candidates usually feel confident. Your reaction is not a reliable indicator.
Wait for the outcome. Then decide based on facts, not anxiety.
That is an incredibly difficult situation, and the anxiety about the short duration and the job reposting is completely understandable. Let's look at this with a consultant's mindset and break down what likely happened.
First, let's address the clock. 9 minutes in a partner round is a clear signal. Partners are the ultimate bottleneck in the hiring process, and their time is priceless. They are experts at synthesizing information quickly. When a scheduled 30-minute interview is cut down this drastically, it almost universally means the Partner gathered enough negative signal in the first few minutes—whether due to the lack of enthusiasm, the blanking, or the failure to ask questions—and chose not to invest the remaining 21 minutes probing further. The smile was likely just professional courtesy, not an indication of a successful outcome.
Regarding your gut feeling about being a backup candidate, you are probably correct. The fact that you were moved forward despite being a fresh grad who applied for a different role, combined with the firm immediately reposting the job, suggests an issue with their current hiring pipeline. Firms sometimes pass candidates who are "Good Enough" through earlier screens to keep the funnel moving and pressure-test the partners, but they are clearly still hunting for their preferred, tailored profile. They likely wanted to see if you could overcome the experience gap through sheer personal dynamism, which didn't happen due to the panic.
The critical takeaway here is less about the technical fit and more about interview hygiene. Failing to ask questions when given two chances signals a profound lack of interest or preparation at the highest level—this often outweighs a decent case performance in a fit/partner round. For your next attempt, you must address the panic directly. Preparation isn't just knowing the answers; it's training yourself to recover from the blank. Always have 2-3 tailored, insightful questions ready about the Partner's career, the firm’s strategy in a certain market, or a recent project—you absolutely cannot go into that round without them.
Focus on controlling the elements you can: presence, preparation, and managing your anxiety. The external chaos (wrong role, reposting) is the firm’s problem, not yours.
Hope this insight helps you reset. All the best.
