Worker Shares His Response To A Job Interviewer Who Asked Him To Pretend To Be Superman
Are we just trying to humiliate people in interviews now, or…?
fizkes | Shutterstock | Canva Pro Just when you thought the job search process could not possibly get any worse, here comes a job seeker on trusty ol' Reddit with a story so absurdly audacious it makes your head spin.
You've likely heard about interviews where you're forced to essentially work for free, where you're forced to answer what kind of tree you'd be and why, ones where you're forced to create some kind of time-wasting video as if you're auditioning for a TV show instead of interviewing to be a payroll clerk or whatever. But this? This is… I don't even know what this is.
A man was asked by a job interviewer to pretend to be Superman.
You know what, I'm done. What are we even doing here? The world is falling apart, it takes 47 rounds of interviews and an incantation to Hecate to even GET a job anymore, and you want people to — I cannot stress this enough — PRETEND TO BE SUPERMAN?
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Rather than review his application, he was asked to recite his resume while acting like the caped crusader.
It's bad enough that half the job applications you send out require you to re-enter the resume you've already submitted in the first place. But what this man was asked to do was on an entirely new level.
He explained in his since-deleted Reddit post that after submitting his application for an Account Executive and Sales position, he received an email sharing that the powers that be were "impressed with your background" and wanted to move forward. Moving forward in this case meant asking him to "record a 1-min video of yourself where you can pretend you are a superman and describe why you are a great fit for this position."
This is stupid and a waste of time, of course. But it's also profoundly insulting — it would be even if he were an entry-level new graduate. That's not the case here, though. He's a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of experience in his field. So what is this, some kind of humiliation ritual?
The man sent a perfectly worded response refusing to cooperate.
This guy is stronger than a thousand soldiers because personally? My response would have been:
"Dear [REDACTED],
"[REDACTED] you, [REDACTED] your mother, [REDACTED] your father, [REDACTED] your grandparents — maternal and paternal — [REDACTED] your ancestors and [REDACTED] your entire bloodline all the way back to Noah's [REDACTED] Ark you [REDACTED] piece of [REDACTED] [REDACTED].
Superman these [REDACTED],
John"
This gentleman, however, clearly has better coping skills and is more in touch with his higher self, because what he sent was basically the above, but worded with such professionalism that it was basically unassailable.
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"With over 20 years of proven success in sales, I have always approached my professional endeavors with the utmost seriousness and respect," he wrote. "While I fully recognize the importance of creativity and engagement in the sales process, I find this particular request to be outside the bounds of standard professional practice."
"Such an exercise does not appear to be aligned with assessing the skills, experience, or strategic acumen required to drive results in a high-performing sales environment," he continued. "I remain interested in discussing how my expertise can contribute to growth and success, and I welcome the opportunity to continue our dialogue in a manner that more appropriately reflects the professional nature of this role."
Translation: I am not a clown and this is not an application to clown college so you will treat me with the respect I not only deserve but have earned.
Or, as another Redditor put it, this guy has perfected the art of tact, as defined in a quote often attributed to Winston Churchill: "The ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip." May we all be such skilled communicators, because a lot of these employers have gotten totally out of line.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.