Hello everyone,
I have learned about this subreddit from channels like The Click and Emkay. And I never thought that I would make a post in here but here we are. This may be a little long but I need to rant and finally get this out of my chest. And perhaps have a reassurance that I'm not going crazy. I'm on mobile just to let you know.
To make a very long story as short as possible. I'm from Costa Rica, this is important. Over here we are experiencing a problem with inflation in the sense of American dollars. Our economy is so filled with them, that it has reached a point where our coin (colones) is more valuable than the American dollar. Many companies have noticed this and to nobody's surprise, suddenly almost half of the companies here are paying in dollars in other to get away with it. And those who doesn't pay with dollars are either so overflowed with applications or have ridiculous requirements for a position. Typical things like 5 years experience with 3 references for a entry level position working as a clerk…in the freaking supermarket.
So here I am, 25F with a degree in both Agricultural sciences(aka I'm a Agronomist) and Bilingual secretarial science (aka I'm qualified to be both a receptionist or a secretary). With no job, and after almost 6 months of job hunting, an excel document with almost 200 recorded applications ( I created it with the intention of having a better control and see which companies I had applied, which had ignored me, and which had rejected me. It was more depressing than useful so I delete it after entry 200 or so.) I was really getting desperate, that even with my degrees I wasn't able to get a job. It was always a bullshit excuse: I don't have enough experience, I don't own a car, I'm not enrolled in the lack of better words the National Agronomist Association. And so, so many more. Not even the call centers because; “I was overqualified and I could look for opportunities elsewhere.”
My mom saw how badly it was affecting me so she offered me $450/month to take care of the family home and my grandma who has dementia. But even though with that offer I started to feel like a failure. So many of my classmates already had a job (we graduated last year) and over here I wasn't even able to be in a store selling plants. Not to mention that my grandma deserves a qualified nurse not me.
And then it happened the reason of this post. Let's call them Dumb and Dumber corporation (DDC).
A friend of mine (Alice) send a post of one of her friends (Mary) who said that her company had opened a new position for working from home. It was an English/Spanish Interpreter. And that if someone was interested Mary could give them a referral and guide them in the process. So I got in touch with Mary and after telling me what I needed to do she said and I quote: “Try not to get too excited, some people had bought a new phone and they were not hired in the end.”
That was the first red flag. It seemed a bit odd to me in the moment but I guess from the desperation I just forgot about it or didn't really comprehend what she meant by that.
So I applied, gave my personal information and the model of my phone (yes they asked for the model and system characteristics of my phone) did their tests to prove that in fact I knew both languages, and then I received an email saying that I had passed and they would like to continue the process with an interview. And I accepted very excited, thinking that maybe this was it. Finally some luck in my way.
Then came the second red flag. In the confirmation email came a couple of pdfs that said something along the lines of expectations and equipment requirements. I opened them and saw that they would require that I had a new phone, with iOS 16 or OS 13 as an operating system, an adapter and a headset with mic. I still have the screenshots but I don't want to post them in case I brake any rules.
I was confused but once again. Necessity and desperation go hand in hand. I told myself, I'm going to bring this up in the interview but probably it's a misunderstanding. Yeah right.
The day of the interview finally arrives, it's online via Teams, and guess what my dear readers? It wasn't a misunderstanding it was worse.
Yes it was a working from home position. Yes it was an interpreter position but guess what?! I was going to be paid in dollars for a magnificent total of: $4/hour day shift or $6.69/hour night shifts. The job didn't start until January 8th of 2024 and guess what else?! Yes! I had to buy my own equipment because the company no longer gave it out. But I hear you say: “Then why the title says that they needed you to buy a new phone before continuing the process?”
Here is the reason why. After explaining me all the benefits and stuff. The interviewer asked me if I had any questions. I told her that in all honesty I wasn't sure about the pdfs files and if she could clarify if I really had to buy my own equipment. She said yes and also! I will never forget this and I quote:
“Also Bunnywhite, I was checking the information you gave us and I see that your phone is a Xiaomi Redmi 9T. Sadly our company works with an app to do the calls for the position. This app is not compatible with computers, laptops, ipads, cellphones from the Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor brand. Also it's not compatible with the Samsung Galaxy A series but it's compatible with every model of iPhone. So, I can't tell you what you can or can't do. But in order to continue with the hiring process, we need you to give us proof that you have this equipment before we can continue”
I can't made this up. I swear. I can't, a few weeks have passed since then and every time I think of that moment I just think to myself: “I'm too sober for this shit and I don't even drink.”
So of course I asked if there was any sort of guarantee that at least they could wait for me or reserve me a spot. And of course they said no. Because reasons!!!
So in that moment, I just told the interviewer:
“Thank you for your time but I will no longer continue with this process and in fact I think it's horrible that a company expects someone looking for a job to first do an investment for equipment that the company can't provide. And that said company doesn't even give them a guarantee that after they manage to get a loan and buy the equipment, that there will still be a position waiting for them. If one is looking for a job is quite obvious they are doing it because they don't have any money.”
And after some back a forward sorry's and thank you for your time. I finally hung up the call and just scream. I went to my grandma and told her what happened, she was both surprised and horrified and asked if that was even legal. I just told her that I no longer knew what companies could or couldn't do. And after that I just went to my room, managed to order myself a Subway and spent the rest of the night playing Atomic Heart. Trying to distract myself from the circus that just happened.
Is this real life? Am I going delulu?
Let's break this up. So you can see why I'm feeling so insulted up to this date.
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They should have put in their position: “Also if you are poor or not able to afford an iPhone don't apply to this job.”
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I think is common knowledge that the people looking for a job is because they don't have money, they have to pay bills or they need income for their families and don't have spare money laying around so they can do a sudden investment like a new phone.
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Even if somehow I managed to convince the bank to give my broke, unemployed ass a loan or a payment plan for a new phone. I was not going to have a job until January of the next year. So I would not see the fruits of my investment until 2 more months.
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And even then! I was going to have a pay of $6.69/hr. Yes, at the end of the month is a lot but my dear reader. Do you know how expensive a new phone here in Costa Rica is? Especially with the system requirements they were asking? It was an initial investment of at least! $500/$1000 that once again I wouldn't be able to pay until next year when the position started.
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And even if I was able to buy the new phone, headset and adapter there was a chance that by that time the hiring process would be over or even worse they suddenly decided somewhere in that timeline that they would no longer want to continue the process or some other bullshit excuse. Because there was absolutely no guarantee. Nothing, Zero, Nada. That after having done that investment I would be hired or have a job waiting for me.
And 6 the salt on the wound and the spit in my face.
They actually had the balls, that after I clearly rejected them. They still send me a couple of days later. The classical email of: “After looking through your profile we decided not to continue with the hiring process blah, blah, blah”. They pettiness…the fucking pettiness they had to have the last word even though I told them in polite way to fuck themselves. A fucking reminder and a subtle way of saying: “Look what you missed because your broke ass couldn't afford a new phone.”
I'm so done… I'm so done.
And yeah… that's my story. Hope you guys are doing better than I am.