[jphalimi]

You are right, you don't "have to" do anything, as long as you don't want to get a job at one of these companies. :-)

The truth of the matter is that, at the end of the day, some companies can afford to tell you no, even if you are talented, because they will get other people who want to do what you don't "have to" do. And it works quite well for them, as you can see.

[kafkaesq]

And it works quite well for them, as you can see.

You can look at it that way, if you want to.

My way of looking at is: "Are these people dealing with me in a way that makes me feel respected and valued, both as a potential colleague as a human being? And above all, trusted? Maybe in a 'trust-but-verify' sense, but fundamentally - trusted? If not, then who they are, what they're doing, how successful they are or how many people are supposedly all ga-ga to work for them -- none of that can begin to matter."