TikTok user Natalya Haddix gained viral attention on the popular social media platform by sharing her “nightmare” experience during a job application.
She expressed her frustration at being asked to attend an in-person interview where she encountered other candidates competing for the same position.
Additionally, she was taken aback by having to fill out a paper application and the low salary offered for the job.
The financial challenges faced by many Americans, exacerbated by the worst recession in 40 years and rising costs of living, have made salaries an important concern.
Natalya, known as @natalyahaddix on TikTok, vented her dissatisfaction in her viral video, stating, “I have never been so disrespected in my life. What I just experienced in this job interview…there’s not a clearer way to tell people that you are interviewing that we don’t give a s— about our employees. We don’t care about them.”
She then described her interview experience, highlighting how it demonstrated the lack of concern the employer had for its workers: “I receive a response from a company called Brand IQ in Miami, Florida. They said they liked my application and wanted to interview me. They asked me to come in for this interview.”
She expressed her surprise at the inconvenience of an in-person interview for a preliminary stage, suggesting a phone or Zoom call would have sufficed.
As she conducted more research, she discovered additional red flags. The company did not align with her expectations in terms of their mission, vision, brand, voice, and values.
Furthermore, the position advertised as a marketing coordinator required experience, yet the offered salary of $36,000 to $38,000 in Miami, Florida seemed unreasonably low.
According to Youmoveme.com, to live “comfortably” in Miami, an individual would need to earn around $3,500 per month after taxes. Natalya continued, expressing her shock at the situation but deciding to proceed with the interview to learn more. Upon arriving at the supposed office, she found it to be a small room with two glass fishbowls side by side, filled with around ten people.
Natalya described her interaction with the receptionist, who asked her to fill out an application despite already having her application and resume. This antiquated paper application process seemed inappropriate for someone with professional experience. Moreover, in the adjacent fishbowl, she overheard another interviewer conducting interviews, exposing her to information she didn’t need to know.
At this point, Natalya decided she had seen and heard enough, and she confronted the situation by asking what was happening. She recounted, “After my interview time slot had already passed, I was still sitting there when a man came in and asked two other people to go with him. I sat there wondering why I was still there. So, I asked the girl, what is this process? What is going on?”
The response she received only added to her frustration, as the girl simply stated, “This is an interview.” Natalya decided she had experienced enough and promptly thanked them but declared she was no longer interested. She got up and left, feeling that the process displayed a lack of care for employees, treating them as expendable.
TikTok users had mixed reactions to Natalya’s post. Some felt that her experience was not out of the ordinary compared to their own job application processes, while others commended her for recognizing the unusual nature of the situation and walking out.
Watch the video below:
@natalyahaddix It’s a corporate nightmare. #interviewprep #corporatelife #entrepreneurtok
Regardless of differing opinions, Natalya’s story resonated with those who shared her sentiments, applauding her decision to leave and highlighting the questionable nature of the interview process she encountered.
