The Job Title Switch-a-roo
7. The job title switch-a-roo
Some years ago, I was called in to interview for the position of web writer with the publications department at Columbia University. It sounded like a
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great job because it allowed me to write and edit content for print and online environments. Since I am an alumnus of the school, I was confident that I had some advantages. I also fit the position requirement perfectly.
The interviewer sat me down and outlined the job requirements of an assistant— someone who does various administrative tasks around the office. She did not give me a chance to protest nor ask any questions because she talked for about 10-minutes without a single pause. When she finally stopped, I told her that I came in to interview for a writer’s position, not the one of an assistant. She said that there was no such position open.
The Interviewer said perhaps I was mistaken in coming in to her publications department, and that maybe I was applying for a web writer’s job at a different department at the school.
The day before my interview, I’d received a confirmation email from a secretary confirming that I was scheduled to interview for a web writer’s position from that same department, with that same exact address.
For whatever reason, it was clear to me that the Interviewer had pulled a fast one on me.
She apologized for having wasted my time but no amount of apologies sincere or otherwise could really give me back the time I spent on preparing for the interview and being met with crushing disappointment.
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I considered asking her to reimbursement me for my trip down to her office, perhaps even filing a complaint against her. Sometimes when one gets insulted in such a way, it does make you want to act irrationally. Really, was getting reimbursed my bus fare really going to make me feel better? Not likely. So I let it go. Since my time was already wasted, there was no sense in wasting anymore of it on such a useless person.
In the end, if you are the one without a job, you just have to deal with such insults because the hiring managers always do have the upper hand.
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