I applied for a project planning role at Van Oord and went through a well-organized hiring process. I had three calls with the recruiter, completed a technical interview with the team, and passed the assessment test. Throughout this time, I was completely transparent about my visa situation and nationalities, which never seemed to be an issue. However, despite my openness from the beginning, I was eventually rejected solely due to my nationality. The reasons provided were unfounded and irrelevant to my situation. There are no sanctions against citizens of my countries, and I was fully prepared to relocate. When I sought clarification, I was ignored. It was only after contacting the Head of Talent Acquisition that I finally received a call from the recruiter, who apologized, but it felt more like an attempt to save face rather than acknowledge the absurdity of the situation. I’m left incredibly disappointed and shocked by this outcome. Being rejected based solely on my nationality felt not only unprofessional but discriminatory. I never expected such treatment from a company of Van Oord’s stature. This experience has left me questioning their values and how they handle diversity and inclusion in their hiring processes.