Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Images by sigsnap on TikTok

‘So over this job market’: Woman says an employer shook her hand and gave her a start date after a second interview. She got a denial letter instead

They apparently decided to "hire within"

A woman who posts on TikTok as @sigsnap said in a video that she is “literally so over this job market.” She described a second interview that ended with a handshake, a Tuesday start date, and a promise that onboarding information would arrive over the weekend.

Recommended Videos

She said the employer did not send the onboarding details. She said she received a denial letter instead. The video showed her speaking to the camera while appearing upset and crying. She wore a white shirt with red heart patterns.

She said she called the company because she believed there had been a mistake. She said she told the person on the phone that the director had told her she would be starting on Tuesday. The clip has drawn 413,800 views, 58,800 likes, and more than 2,170 comments.

Viewers discuss verbal start dates and rejection letters after the TikTok video

@sigsnap said the person who answered the phone told her, “Oh, well, from what I understand is that we decided to hire within, and I thank you for your interview.” She said she was left questioning why the company would shake her hand and give her a start date. Such workplace miscommunications can leave candidates feeling misled, a frustration that doesn’t stop at hiring, as a Baltimore woman claimed her Gen Z coworker was fired after leaving a job over bullying. 

She asked in the video, “Why would you shake my hand and tell me a start date and that you were sending me onboarding information to send me a denied interview and not even to call me and tell me that you were going with other candidates?” She said the company sent “a basic thanks for applying letter.”

Then she said, “And instead of sending me onboarding information, they sent me a denied letter.” She described telling the company, “Your director told me that I was going to be starting on Tuesday.”

The woman did not name the employer in the video. She did not share an offer letter or other written confirmation in the clip provided.

Commenters focused on whether a handshake and a spoken start date count as a job offer. One commenter said a lawsuit might be possible and wrote, “You can actually sue. Verbal agreements are binding.”

Another commenter called for the company to be identified and wrote, “Drop the name of the company. We need to start shaming these companies.” A third commenter said she should seek unemployment benefits and take legal action, writing, “File for unemployment and sued them. They literally hired you and fired you.”

Other viewers said a spoken promise is not enough without paperwork. One commenter wrote, “Unless you have an offer letter, you weren’t offered a job. No matter what was said in the interview.”  

Some suggested she contact the director directly. One commenter wrote, “Do you have the email of the director? Email him and see what he says.” A few commenters framed the outcome as possibly fortunate. One wrote, “Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.” Another suggested companies collect applications for other reasons and wrote, “These days they just want you to apply so they can get your data to sell.”


Attack of the Fanboy is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Towhid Rafid
Towhid Rafid
Towhid Rafid is a content writer with 2 years of experience in the field. When he's not writing, he enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and staying updated on political news.