Employee finds their dream job outside the ‘finance bro’ space after getting a wakeup call in the form of a cruel list of ‘mistakes’ post-interview: ‘I’m happier than I ever thought I could be'

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Dec 15, 2024 9:00 AM EST

Looking for a job is tough enough without a bunch of finance bros looking down their noses at you. This employee had a stark realization after striking out at a few interviews that it wasn't the job market pushing her out anymore, it was the bro culture. 

After submitting a few job applications in the finance field, this worker had a strong realization. Although they'd worked in the finance space for a while, the jobs were endlessly boring, unfulfilling, and plagued with armies of men in their early 20s wearing light blue shirts with a puffer vest (you know the look…) While there's nothing wrong with pursuing riches and getting yours on the stock market, this employee realized teh real reason they started to hate the industry wasn't because of the numbers or the dull, grey cubicles–it was those dang finance bros. 

Keep scrolling to read how a cruel rejection letter sent this prospective employee catapulting into a new field, fleeing from the gross antics and childish games of the finance space and discovering their dream job in the process.

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    Cheezburger Image 10441521408
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    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    employer rejected me, then sent a list of everything I did wrong I'm a younger person who is job searching for something full-time for the first time. Haven't been having a lot of luck of course due to the state of the world, but I
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    recently got an interview where I made it all the way to the final round and was rejected. At first, the company was really professional about it. They were kind enough to let me know I'd been rejected and thank me for my time. But then, about three
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    days later, I got an email from one of the interviewers (a different one than the one who sent the formal rejection email, the final round had been in front of a panel). The email body text said, "Hey,
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    here's some tips for future interviews" and attached was a Word document with a super detailed list of everything I'd done wrong, including that my answer to the question "what's your favorite book" was too pretentious (note: the job wasn't
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    for a library or any other book related field). Although he'd been part of the final round interview panel, he hadn't been present during previous interviews and this was the first communication I got directly from this guy.
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    Here are all the comments from the document. It was a financial / stock company but the job wasn't directly connected to stocks (copywriter position writing some ads/website update):
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    I can tell you are not passionate about stocks. Every member of this company has been passionately investing in the stock market as a hobby for years. You had basic technical knowledge and that's it. In general you seem to lack passion. Your answers are very
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    thorough and well thought out but lack passion. What are you passionate about? I couldn't tell. You were clearly nervous throughout. You lack confidence. When asked about an issue you had overcome, you mentioned something that had happened in a job not related to our industry
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    You didn't seem to have an interest in company culture. We mentioned we are a company with lots of events and training workshops and you didn't ask any further questions there. Your response to the favorite book
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    question sounded pretentious and insincere. Les Miserables simply isn't a book people read for fun. You weren't enjoying yourself at all. We're a friendly company and you were tense and nervous the entire time we talked to you. You let your nerves show.
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    Is this normal? It's left me feeling really terrible. According to him, I did -so- many things wrong. It's killing my confidence.
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    Hearing that I lack passion is really scary. I'm scared it will affect me in the job search going forward. It's not an issue I ever thought I had, but now it is something that worries me daily.
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    Update Dec 5, 2024 (3 years later) Three or so years ago, I emailed you concerned about an interviewer who had sent me feedback for a job I didn't get, including saying I lacked passion and some other stuff. (I
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    was the one whose favorite book was Les Miserables and he said I was pretentious.) As many commenters guessed, he WAS trying to hit on me in a negging sort of way. He later tried to ask me out via LinkedIn DMs. Needless to say, it did not work.
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    It took a while, and many other unsuccessful interviews (none of which were as rough as that one) but I eventually found a job in a field I had never considered, where I could put my writing skills to work with much less of a "bro culture"
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    compared to writing for stocks/finances. I'm still in the job, got a huge promotion this year, and have even written articles about how great of a book Les Miserables is. It's still my favorite and I still reread it regularly!
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    What prompted me to think of sending you an update is this: I recently as part of my job interviewed a long-time idol of mine, a celebrity I have looked up to for years, and he said to me at the end of the interview,
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    apropos of nothing, that he had read some of my previous work and could tell how passionate | was about my writing and that he was so happy to be interviewed by someone so passionate about their work.
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    As for Mr. Interview Feedback, no idea how he's doing, and no desire to know - but I'm in my dream job and happier than I ever thought I could be. Thank you again for all of your advice.
    via Direct-Caterpillar77
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    sthetic Gotta love the logic. "Women want men who are intelligent and confident. If I show that I am superior to her, by laying out a logical argument about why she s ks, she will see my value and be irresistibly attracted to me!"
    via sthetic
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    nnnnopenopenope if you even consider DMing someone on LinkedIn with the intention of hitting on them, seek professional help.
    via Direct-Caterpillar77

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