Originally Posted by Fearoftheunknown

Hmm maybe that particular head of the dept is looking for an all-rounder? You may have the grades and internship experience but it does not necessarily translates to soft skills which are equally important as well, like interpersonal communications, high EQ level, working well in a team, cultivating relationships with stakeholders, how you handle problematic issues, etc. Usually first class honors grads have the intelligence but lack wisdom in life. On the contrary, second upper grads may not be as smart as you, but has "experienced" life outside the classroom, and thus they are much wiser because of their many life experiences. Unfortunately, it's really wisdom that gets you far in life, intelligence not so much.

Does HR manager's opinion even matter that much? It's not even HR who ultimately decides the candidate, unless you are applying to the dept. HR simply just serve as an advisor to the hiring manager, giving their input to help the manager choose the best candidate. In the end it is up to the hiring manager to decide for themselves what kind of candidates they are looking for.