I initially reached out to the hiring manager via LinkedIn after seeing the role had just closed. She was kind enough to review my resume and said she loved my experience, so much so that the role was reopened specifically so I could apply. I applied immediately. After a few days, I received an interview invite and confirmed the time a week in advance. I researched extensively and rearranged my schedule to prepare. On the day of the call (which just so happened to be my birthday as well), the recruiter called a few minutes late, and jumped right into asking if I had a bachelor’s degree or if “in progress” on my resume meant I was currently enrolled. I confirmed that yes, I’m actively enrolled in a BS program, which was clearly stated on my resume. He abruptly said they couldn’t proceed because, as a federal contractor, having the degree in-hand was a "hard requirement". The call ended quickly and within two minutes, I received an auto-generated rejection email notice. This was frustrating and disappointing given the steps I took, and the fact that the hiring manager reopened the role based on my background. I have worked over 15 years across the commercial and federal sectors, managed teams, built entire departments, and possess far more years of experience than the job required. Now that I’m actively pursuing my degree, it was surprising to be cut off without further discussion, especially after the effort made to reopen the role for my application. What’s odd is that there was no mention that the role would be assigned to a federal subcontract, and that explanation seemed like a catch-all dismissal rather than a real compliance barrier. This might be something to flag for others with strong experience but nontraditional academic timing. It was a wasted opportunity due to inflexible thinking and a lack of internal alignment between the recruiter and hiring manager.