Job hunting can be a rollercoaster, filled with anticipation, stress, and hope. But one Reddit user’s journey recently took such a strange and unexpected turn that it left the internet stunned. After clearing multiple hiring steps for a role she was excited about, she finally received an email, only to discover that the job she’d applied for didn’t actually exist.
The user shared her experience on Reddit, explaining that she had gone through a complete hiring process: a phone screening, an in-person interview, and even a background check. Naturally, she assumed she was on track to receive an offer soon. But what she received instead was an email that left her “speechless.”
The email, sent by the company she applied to, read more like a bizarre social experiment than a professional correspondence. It stated that while they appreciated her interest in the Entry Level Customer Service position, they were not actively hiring. Instead, the application process was apparently conducted to see if the role was “desirable.”
The message concluded by thanking her for her time and promising to “keep her resume on file” for future opportunities, an offer that rang hollow considering the misleading nature of the entire process.
Internet reacts
Many users expressed outrage over the incident, calling out the company’s behavior as manipulative and unethical. One user highlighted how companies often get away with such actions because there are no real consequences, urging others to publicly expose such practices to prevent more people from wasting their time. Others slammed the company for essentially using applicants as a data collection pool, pointing out the potential legal and ethical violations.
The fact that a background check was conducted for a position that didn’t actually exist raised further alarm. Some speculated that the company could be a front for data mining, using the pretext of a fake job opening to gather sensitive personal information. Many called for the company to be reported, stressing the need for accountability and transparency in the hiring process.