I [21 F] received a message on Facebook from an employee at a company I applied for a couple of weeks ago [M 30?] – I feel upset and stupid.

A young woman (21F) who applied for a junior web designer job received a Facebook message from someone claiming to be the head of the department at the company she interviewed with. The message was cruel, belittling her for her math skills and calling her “stupid,” leaving her feeling devastated and questioning her self-worth. Read her story below:

‘ I [21 F] received a message on Facebook from an employee at a company I applied for a couple of weeks ago [M 30?] – I feel upset and stupid.’

I’m not sure if I should even be posting here, but I really didn’t know where else to ask and I have no idea what to do and I feel truly terrible. I applied for a job at a company a couple of weeks ago, really seemed like a job I’d like to do. It was becoming a junior web designer at a company.

I’d been interested in it for a while and I have been teaching myself how to do it amongst other things by using books, reddit and just reading about it online. It’s been fun and I’ve been loving it. Anyway, I work at a typical job, a supermarket and I have been looking for another job for a while as I wanted a career and to start doing something with my life.

I mainly do online job searching. I saw the job advertisement for a junior web designer at this company and they said they would teach you everything on the job, no experience needed. Seemed ideal to me and I thought I’d give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen?

So a couple of days after applying I got a e-mail and then a phone call from HR and they said they wanted me to come in for a first round interview. Of course I said yes.
I went along to the interview, very nervous as this was the first ‘real’ job I’ve ever had an interview for. I asked for advice from some co-workers and that helped me feel better and get a clearer head.

I got there a littl early and waited nervously. The assessments were for English, Maths and Logic. Now, I will be the first to admit, I do really s**k at maths. I just don’t get it. I can’t really do it. I’m not totally unable but it gets hazy when percentages, fractions, diving large numbers, times tables, ect it gets hard for me. But I have been trying to improve my maths!

It sounds stupid but I’ve been doing maths homework with my younger brother who is in secondary school, final year, and it’s been helping me out loads. I got maths training games too. So I did the assessments and I didn’t really do well at the maths I thought. I came out of the interview feeling unconfident but I tried to not let that show through. They said they will be in contact with me.

A day later, I got a Facebook message in my outbox and it was from someone I didn’t know. I read through this message and was gobsmacked. I don’t know what to think. Here is the message:. “Hi OP, I am just e-mailing you to let you know you definitely won’t be getting there job at _____. You are a different shade of absolute stupidity.

I work here and I’m the head of the department of which you applied for. I would never in my life ever employ someone who is as utterly simple and unable to do maths. It’s a shame as you aced your other tests. But English and logic aren’t a sign of intelligence to me. Maths is. You should be ashamed of yourself and go pick up a maths book and learn.

No one will take you seriously in life. I seriously hope you take my advice. Your life won’t be anything more than menial jobs.. Take care,. A**hole.” Reddit. I am so upset. I know he’s right. I am stupid. I just don’t know what to think. What the hell do I do?! I feel worthless.

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

kallisti_gold −  Just because he says he’s the head of a department, it doesn’t mean it’s true. Even if it is true, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a boss who will look unkindly at this kind of unprofessional behavior. Screenshot and send it to everyone in the chain of command above him.

MarianneDashwood −  If you send that to HR, he will be in trouble. Probably fired. That is…the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever seen, and I used to work for a company that was sued (deservedly so) regularly. I s**k REALLY HARD at mathematics. I can barely help my son with his 9th grade homework. I’m a psychologist and have had a successful career.

My husband sucks at math too– somewhat less than me because he’s able to limp along well enough to help our son through homework without losing the will to live, but still, pretty bad. He’s a tech writer with an extremely successful career and makes enough to support our entire family by himself.

I’m sorry that a person who sucks at life, made you feel badly for sucking at math. What this person thinks of you is none of your business and I PROMISE, truly, I swear, this person’s message was not about you. The message was about this person’s own self h**red. No one sends a message like that to a virtual stranger unless they are in a huge amount of pain themselves.

[Reddit User] −  Dear [Company], My name is [full name] and I interviewed for [position] on [date.] On [date] I got an e-mail from [full name] (see enclosed picture) from a Facebook account. The message was highly unprofessional.

I am informing you of this because I do not think the message was a sign of how you ran your company.
I hope that you will take appropriate actions if this message is proven to be from a member of your staff.. Sincerely,. [Your name]

sthetic −  This is fishy. Are you sure he works there? Did you tell anybody about the interview? I imagine you telling your IRL or Facebook friends afterwards: “I really want that job but I’m worried I failed the math test! I’m sooooo bad at math!” and one of your frenemies spitefully sending a fake message to prey on your insecurities.

I know that sounds far-fetched, but I find it easier to believe than the idea that: – the head of a department would send a facebook message instead of an email. – a total stranger would feel the need to personally insult and berate another stranger. – that an employee would take the time to do so instead of just saying, “Sorry, we chose another applicant.”

– that they would know exactly where to hit you where it hurts the most. – that they would not know the name of their own department. – that you failed as poorly as you suspect, when you are actively studying to improve your math skills

Who did you tell about your interview? Maybe coworkers at your current job, who don’t want to see you leave? I don’t advise forwarding the message to HR as others have suggested. Instead, find out if they even HAVE an employee named Chad A**hole or whatever. My guess is that they don’t.

fo910360 −  Forward the email to HR. He won’t have a job tomorrow

ofthrees −  i have a really hard time believing this is a legitimate message. NO sane person interested in keeping their job would do something like this. note, ‘interested in keeping their job’. screencap, send to HR. if it’s real, well, if you don’t get hired, you can at least be reassured he’s going to be on the unemployment line right alongside you.

this kind of thing would be immediate termination for someone anywhere i’ve ever worked. (i’m in the states, though. your mileage in what i presume is the UK – or somewhere in the vicinity – may vary.) but i feel like you’re being trolled to high heaven.

i wish i knew the name of this company and this person, because i could probably suss out its legitimacy in 15 minutes. either way, send a screencap to HR. “hi, i received this message via facebook today.”

cellojade −  Send the message to HR and to his boss. He will be doing ‘menial’ jobs tomorrow. And keep up the studying! It’s great you have an interest and passion to learn yourself! And if you show that drive you will find your dream job somewhere. Also maybe look at some official course to help build your CV.

[Reddit User] −  What a f**king d**k. The guy sounds totally maladjusted and angry at the world. Forward it to the owner of the company and ask if this is the image that he/she wants portrayed to people that apply for jobs at the company. He’ll probably get fired. Don’t reply and keep your head up. Web design is fun and you just need to do more of it – you don’t even need to be good at math.

krunchytacos −  That sounds like some random j**k at the company that got a hold of your results. I’d wait and see if you actually get contacted by their HR, since that’s completely unprofessional and I highly doubt that is the final notice.

If you don’t hear anything in a couple of weeks, I’d consider sending that to HR and send them a message that you thought that the notification you received from their company after the interview was completely disrespectful and unprofessional (include the response you got).

On a side note, I’m software developer, been doing it for a long time now. I completely s**k at math as well, always have. I even failed it the same math course 3 times in HS. I find math to be a completely different ball game when it comes to using a computer and programming. It’s not going to hold you back. Also, I’ve never had to do an aptitude test like that as part of an interview, so don’t give up and keep applying for places.

[Reddit User] −  I have no idea if this post is real or not, but those who are crying “fake” are unaware of two things: * The Brits (and Aussies) say “maths” while we here in America say “math.” * People can be really, really cruel and unbalanced. This kind of thing DOES happen. It’s possible this guy is a competitor for the job, like others have suggested.

It’s also possible he is who he claims to be and he’s a d**k, for whatever reason. I’ve posted about this before, but a supervisor at a stupid temp job I once had told me that because I was a unmarried receptionist, I should kill myself.

I had just met this person. It turned out he had a brain tumor and his wife had recently left him. To OP: Don’t let the miserable assholes of the world get you down. I think it’s awesome you’re teaching yourself a new skill and that you applied for this job. Keep it up.

Cruel words can deeply wound, but they often say more about the sender than the recipient. This message was unprofessional and uncalled for—reporting it to HR or higher management might be a good step. What would you do in her situation? Share your thoughts below!