"I Did Not Apply To Be A Part Of A Pyramid Scheme": Woman Shares Her Job Interview Horror Story

Job hunting is rarely a smooth and pleasant experience. Either it's sending out countless applications or expecting a reply from a company for more than a month. It's tiring, embarrassing and sometimes even grotesque.

Like in this woman’s case – you apply for a job, expect an interview, but suddenly find yourself in a Zoom call to get a travel agent certificate. The woman shared her frustration with the current situation of the job market in a video on TikTok and many commenters agreed.

Bored Panda reached out to leadership coach and CEO of Beamably Robyn L Garrett for a comment on the situation. She was kind enough to share her thoughts and some advice on how to identify red flags on job listings.

"I don't want anyone ever telling me that the job market is not bad right now.  I applied to be an event coordinator on LinkedIn a week ago and  I had an interview scheduled today at 2pm. When I joined the zoom, there were 250 other people on it and a woman telling us that we were getting trained on getting our travel agent certification."

"So LinkedIn and Lutetia count your days. I did not apply to be a part of a pyramid scheme. I just wanted to be an event coordinator."

Robyn L. Garrett is the CEO of leadership technology company Beamably, and also TikTok’s leadership muse. She provides her knowledge on leadership to NPR, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, Talent Quarterly, and numerous podcasts and other media outlets.

She's also the author of Happy at Work: How to Create a Happy, Engaging Workplace for Today’s (and Tomorrow’s!) Workforce. Robyn was kind enough to lend us her expertise on this particular case as well.

Robyn says that not all job postings are companies looking for employees. "Many employers use job postings to 'test the waters' because they aren't obligated to hire (or even interview) any applicants," she explains. "They might just be collecting information about things like salary requirements or job titles. You're never going to know for sure."

If you're ever in a similar situation to Julia's (the author of the video), here's some advice from Robyn. "If you find yourself in an 'interview' that seems predatory or misleading, don't feel obligated to stay. You can politely say, 'I don't think this is the right fit' at any time."

Part of the fault is on online platforms like LinkedIn. There are very few safeguards for people who are looking for jobs. "Anyone can set up a company and job posting on LinkedIn," Robyn adds.

She advises to be cautious and do your research before any job interview. "There's no harm in applying, but if someone contacts you, check the company out. If they have very few employees or you can't find a proper corporate website, be wary."

The commenters under Julia's video shared the same frustrations with the current state of the job market. "The job market is insane, it's so frustrating," one commenter Amanda said. Another one, Jenna Shefts, wrote, "At least you got an interview. I can't even get that far."

Our expert Robyn L Garrett says there are two sides to this issue. "The unemployment rate was 3.8% in September, which is still quite low," Robyn cites statistics. In fact, unemployment in the U.S. has only risen by 0.1% in October to 3.9%, according to Trading Economics. Yet, the statistics are only part of the bigger picture.

Some tactics that recruiters use are the reason why so many job-seekers become frustrated. "Employers feel that they've regained some leverage, and so they're making bold moves, "Robyn observes. "For those applying, the process can feel slow and daunting with no explanation for the lack of interviews or offers."

The amount of time job-hunters might have to wait to hear back from recruiters depends on what line of work you are in. "Certain sectors are particularly slow," Robyn explains. "So if you're looking for a job in tech, expect delays. And, as more companies mandate RTO, competition for remote jobs is at an all-time high."