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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Applying for jobs isn't easy, but one woman's experience became very awkward when she mistakenly received an email about herself from the CEO of a company she'd applied to.
Shannon Brooke, 27, spent a few weeks applying for jobs in the social work sector when she received a reply from a company she'd sent her resumé and cover letter to. However, when she read the email, which came from the CEO no less, it left her stunned.
Not only was the email accidentally sent to Brooke, but it was actually about her application. She told Newsweek that it "was disappointing" because she'd liked the sound of the job, and didn't know if this ruined her chances of being accepted.
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The email she received by mistake said that Brooke's experience "is largely assessment based" and she'd been working in a coffee shop since completing her master's degree three years ago. As a result, the CEO put her application in the "maybe pile."
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Although the email wasn't overly negative, Brooke, who resides in Scotland, U.K., wasn't too pleased about the comments.
"She didn't say anything bad, but it was a super weird read of my resume," Brooke said. "Also, no one wants to see the back end of hiring."
She continued: "I worked in this field prior to my master's, managed a cafe while traveling, then returned to the industry. In a way, I'd been given the perfect opportunity to communicate all this which wouldn't have happened if I didn't receive that email, so I knew I had to reply."
Indeed, the Generation Zer knew she'd have felt "so embarrassed" if she sent that email, so she wanted to infuse some humor into the situation. After all, she found it quite funny and wanted to make a joke with the CEO.
She responded to the email by praising her application in the third person, highlighting her rapport building skills and team management experience. Following what happened, she had no intention of going forward with the company anyway.
But she never imagined she'd get a reply to her email.
The CEO wrote back joking that Brooke was now in her "very probably pile" and the email was "sent in error." Although, there was no apology, which Brooke found questionable.
She said: "I remember reading it to my boyfriend and we both burst out laughing, especially when we realized it was the CEO. It was actually a good reply from her, and we couldn't believe my reply got me moved to most probably. That part was definitely a green flag.
"The lack of apology I did find strange, only because if I were in that position I would definitely want to apologize for the unprofessionalism. But offering me an interview later on was a way of apologizing I suppose."
She didn't end up taking them up on the interview however, as she'd already been offered a job by another company. When Brooke declined, the CEO sent a "lovely email" wishing her the best in the future.
It was such an unusual experience, and Brooke couldn't resist sharing it on TikTok (@shanbrooke_). Social media users were left divided by the encounter, leading to more than 112,400 views and 7,700 likes on the video at the time of writing.
She's been blown away by the online response, but even after hearing so many varied opinions, Brooke still can't decide whether this encounter was a red flag.
She told Newsweek: "I think accidentally replying instead of forwarding and not apologizing is a red flag, but reading my response and offering me an interview based on that turns it into a green flag. Who knows, she could have mentioned it at the interview and we both might have laughed."
With over 700 comments on the viral TikTok post, internet users were left divided by this unfortunate mishap.
One comment reads: "why would she apologize, she wrote nothing bad?"
Another TikTok user wrote: "You responded in a jokey manner (which I respect a lot!) and she replied acknowledging her mistake but also keeping the joke going."
While another person replied: "Judging someone for working in a coffee shop after college is a terrible way to hire. Most new grads can't get immediate jobs in their field due to lack of experience."
Have you had a workplace dilemma? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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