A man experienced a “recruiter horror story” after missing his job interview, which he exposed on social media. His experience quickly went viral and amassed messages of support, with many people sharing their own negative employment journey.
On Tuesday (April 2), Ahmad Sandid, a software engineer from Chicago, USA, took to his X page (formerly known as Twitter), to expose a less than pleasant exchange with an employer, whom he claimed had only sent him one email that included his job interview meeting time, scheduled for 5 pm.
Unfortunately, it would appear that there was some sort of miscommunication, as Ahmad was accused of being a no-show at his meeting, prompting a rather aggressive response from the recruiter.
“He created an entire novel in his head about me,” Ahmad wrote on X.
In screenshots shared on the social media platform, the employer, whose identity was kept hidden by Ahmad at first, an initial message read: “Ahmad, Why did you not show up to your interview with [deleted detail] today.”
A viral X post revealed a software engineer's unsettling encounter with a recruiter after missing his job interview, prompting insults and then an apology
Image credits: Tim Gouw/Pexels
“Hello, did the time get changed? I have it on my calendar for 5 Eastern in 30 minutes,” Ahmad responded, as seen in the screenshots shared on X.
The recruiter went on to combatively reply: “You’re an idiot and super unreliable. It’s no wonder you did not finish college.
“You wasted many people’s valuable time.”
The angered employer informed Ahmad that he would never work with him, and he threatened to spread the message to other potential recruiters, adding, “Shame on you.”
“This is an incredibly unprofessional response,” Ahmed answered. He continued: “If it’s true that the time isn’t correct, I understand why this may seem unprofessional.
"But to berate someone with insults is incredibly unprofessional. I will contact [deleted detail] accordingly."
The employer reacted by saying: “You never picked up or returned calls, confirmed with myself (and in turn E7) and no showed for an interview, and ‘played dumb’ after you missed the interview.”
Image credits: ahmadaccino
The recruiter further accused Ahmad of putting him in an “uncomfortable situation” with his client and their hiring manager, claiming the engineer, who previously worked for the Walt Disney Company, “couldn’t care less about wasting others’ time.”
The outraged man continued to insult the job seeker, writing: “You need to grow up and remove your narcissistic personality from the professional world.
“Take responsibility. Your actions impacted many people's valuable time. Good luck.”
On X, Ahmad wrote in a thread that he had “years of industry experience” and “still saw the value in going to college to get some foundational knowledge in CS,” which is likely short for computer science.
The work applicant also revealed that he would finish his academic experience in a month before speculating that the recruited had enjoyed being “in a position of power from the beginning.”
Ahmad Sandid, a software engineer from Chicago, understood that his meeting was for 5 pm, but he was berated for missing his interview
Image credits: ahmadaccino
Nevertheless, on Wednesday (April 3), Ahmad wrote a follow-up post on X, where he not only revealed the identity of the recruiter but said that the man had offered an apology.
The recruiter in question was identified as Jordan Zmick, the president, owner, and recruiter at Think Recruiting in Chicago.
“Honestly I don't feel spiteful to him,” Ahmad wrote. He continued: “I hope all recruiters see devs (developers) as human and all devs view recruiters as human.
“I really just wanted to make sure he doesn't repeat these actions to other candidates.
“If I was out of a job and gotten that response I truly would have been devastated.
“It would be hard NOT to take it to heart.”
Image credits: ahmadaccino
Ahmad shared additional screenshots that showed Jordan’s remorseful reaction, as he wrote: “Ahmad, I have seen the Twitter posts and apologize for my manner today.
“I am sick with the flu, was taking medication, and acted impulsively and rudely. I am sorry.”
Bored Panda has contacted Think Recruiting for comment.
Many people gathered on social media to express support for Ahmad and share their own bad experiences with job recruitment
