Not all job offers are worth accepting once an employer's true, ugly colors are shown.
For 22-year-old Olivia Bland, first impressions were everything.
Olivia, a marketing professional from Manchester, England, shared a letter in which she brilliantly rejected a major corporation's offer for a job at Web Application UK after being put through a torturous interview.
Despite an abusive grilling, the prospective employer ultimately hired her.
Olivia said, "no thank you."
In her tweet, she prefaced the attached letter explaining, "Yesterday morning I had a job interview for a position at a company called Web Applications UK."
"After a brutal 2 hour interview, in which the CEO Craig Dean tore both me and my writing to shreds (and called me an underachiever), I was offered the job."
"This was my response today."
She described the interview process as "very uncomfortable" and said that no applicant should ever be made to feel "so upset that they cry at the bus stop."
What follows is a disturbing intimidation tactic presumably used to weed out potentially weak and vulnerable employees.
The hiring personnel named "Craig" tested her limits and proceeded to push further.
"I'm very aware of what Craig was trying to do, and wat he was trying to get out of me.. I'm also aware that by sending this email, I am failing his tests and proving that I am not the right fit for his company."
"There is something very off to me about a man who tries his best to intimidate and assert power over a young woman, and who continues to push even when he can see that he's making somebody uncomfortable to the point of tears."
"I also think that he's very strategic in placing other people in the interview room, who have no part in the interview process just to heighten the feeling of power he gets over someone else's humiliation."
@oliviaabland/Twitter
Olivia expected her rejection letter to wind up in the trash bin, but it didn't stop her from speaking out about her intimidating appointment.
"All of the things that I mention in this email will be ignored, and things will carry on as usual at Web Applications UK."
"I'm also half-anticipating an email back from Craig himself explaining, line by line, why everything that I have stated in this email is wrong. If you have any consideration for a young girl's feelings, I would ask you not to bother."
The man she refers to as "Craig Dean" was most likely the hiring manager for the company. He relentlessly exerted his superiority over her, which triggered her anxiety experienced from a formerly abusive relationship.
"I have just moved back home to Manchester from Brighton after escaping a year and a half long abusive relationship."
"The two hours I spent in that room with Craig Dean yesterday felt like being sat in a room with my abusive ex - it was two hours of being told I'm not good enough, and detailing exactly why."
"And to top it off, there came the job offer, which I suppose is supposed to make up for all of the nasty things he said beforehand."
"I've been in this position before: they tear you down, abuse you, take you to breaking point, and then they take you out to dinner or buy you a present to apologise and make it seem like they're the nice guy."
If this was the type of work environment she'd be subjected to, she vehemently gave a hard pass.
"This job is supposed to be the present. I don't want it. I'm not going through that again in any capacity."
"I suppose I'm supposed to feel privileged to be good enough for the job. I don't."
@oliviaabland/Twitter
Her way with words, criticizing the hiring procedure without ripping the company entirely to shreds, made her response all the more powerful.
People lauded her for her mature, yet very pointed response.
Others came forward and commiserated with their past abusive experiences.
Olivia gave voice to others who weren't as brave in the past with their convictions.
"Craig" reached out to Olivia after much scrutiny for his interviewing process and apologized for hurting her feelings, chalking it up to the fact that "it is never my intent."
Olivia only acknowledged his apology and spoke out about his ongoing transgressions.
"Your apology is acknowledged but it is also driven by your own pain for yourself."
"You told me in my interview that people have walked out and cried when you've interviewed them so I don't know why you're acting surprised for being called out."
"You know what you've done to people."
Good for you for standing up for yourself and calling out these corporate bullies who are not worth you time.
With their heinous work ethic, it's their loss.
Now, let's think about the future; If anyone is looking for a proofreader/marketer, I know a powerful candidate who is ready to work.
You got this, Olivia.
@TheWhiteHouse/X
