Prospective kindergarten teacher denied a job for being a "video gamer," finds out when AI transcriber emails him a post-interview discussion he wasn't supposed to see: ‘This is the craziest rejection’

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Aug 28, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

Job interviews are super stressful. You put on your best professional face, try not to go off on rambly tangents, and then pray that the hiring team saw something in you. I usually spend the next few days overanalyzing everything I said and Googling the "correct" answers to those out-of-left field questions interviewers sometimes ask to gauge your problem-solving skills, personality, or values (no, I don't know off the top of my head which kitchen utensils I'd be).

Most people never end up finding out exactly what hiring managers think once they leave the interview room or log off the Google Meet, and that's probably for the best. I don't really care to find out that I've been dismissed for a job for using too many filler words or because the kitchen sink in the back of my video was piled up too high for their taste. However, that's exactly what happened to this potential kindergarten drama teacher. He got an unexpected peak behind the curtain thanks to a finnicky transcription tool. This job seeker found out that he wasn't deemed unqualified for the job due to a lack of experience or missing credential, but because the panel thought he was a "video gamer." Not only did they not discuss gaming at all, but neither he nor the internet can even begin to grasp why, if he were a gamer, that would make him unfit to teach drama. This absurd rejection story might just take the cake for most ridiculous reason to not get hired.

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  • 01

    I didn't get the job because I Join was profiled as a 'Video Gamer'

    DEFEAT!
    via Dean Drobot

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I was interviewed for a Afterschool Drama Teacher program at the local museum here. This was a virtual interview so I get the Google Meet email. When I joined, I notice that
    via u/cray_ray
  • 03
    there was another in the room with us but it was an Al that was going to transcribe the meeting called Otter.Al. I didn't think much of it, I figure that this was protocol, whatever.
    via u/cray_ray
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10547465728
    via adamkaz from Getty Images Signature

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 05
    Interview goes on, I feel good despite the little red flags I saw come up. But I need work and being lucky enough to get an interview in my field of choice,
    via u/cray_ray
  • 06
    I hoped for the best. About 30 minutes after the interview concluded I get another email from Otter Al that shares what was transcribed. I felt like
    via u/cray_ray
  • 07
    I wasn't suppose to see this but I decided hey, if anything I can go over the interview for myself and just take it as a healthy moment to critique myself.
    via u/cray_ray
  • 08
    Resume
    via studioroman

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    Little did I realize, the transcription continues after I left.
    via u/cray_ray
  • 10
    I've attached what was said but, I was profiled as a "video gamer" and that was why I was not qualified for the job.
    via u/cray_ray
  • 11
    At first I was p ed but then I had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. If that's their thought process, perhaps | dodged one big ol bullet!
    via u/cray_ray
  • 12
    For transparency, yes I do play video games. But I have a professional resume filled with Teaching experience, industry and professional
    via u/cray_ray
  • 13
    work under my belt. Granted sure I don't have a bachelors in theater work but I wanted to s my shot,
    via u/cray_ray
  • 14
    knowing theres SOME overlap but I was willing to get my feet wet. And its for a kindergarten-program, not exactly putting on 'Kidz Bop Presents: Hamilton'.
    via u/cray_ray
  • 15
    This is definitely the craziest rejection I've ever received. This is truly h l!
    via u/cray_ray
  • 16
    B 18:51 I'm not sure about him, yeah, me, I think he's like, a video gamer. And no offense to video gamers, but just like, like imagining him with kindergarteners. I can't see it.
    via u/cray_ray

  • Look, I used to teach English to ESL children, and when I realized that the kids I was working with loved anime and video games, all of my lessons became about those topics in some way. And they loved it because they could relate to it and it was interesting to them. I don't understand why this guy's PRESUMED hobby immediately disqualified him. 

  • 17
    catsareniceactually Why did they brand you as a "video gamer"? And why does that mean you couldn't work with children?! That's the most ridiculous stereotype. I don't understand.
    via u/catsareniceactually
  • 18
    Imagine if you had a film poster up in the background and they were like, "urgh, he watches movies, we can't let him near children". "He seems like someone who goes skiing. That won't work for us." "Looks like a person who knits. And I'll tell you what he knits...RED FLAGS."
    via u/catsareniceactually
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 10547466240
    via SeventyFour

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 20
    Queasy_Local_7199 Maybe he was chilling in a gamers chair with gamer headphones on for the remote interview lol
    via u/Queasy_Local_7199
  • 21
    Calm-Driver-3800 He kept addressing the interviewers as "chat"
    via u/Calm-Driver-3800
  • 22
    DeliveratorMatt What's especially absurd about this is that around 95% of people below a certain age threshold play some form of digital games.
    via u/DeliveratorMatt
  • 23
    matildawilda Wait I'm so confused, did video games come up at all during the interview or is this just some weird stereotype one of the interviewers came up with?
    via u/matildawilda
  • 24
    Tbh just to spite them, I'd send them a copy of the transcript let them know about their unprofessionalism for
    via u/matildawilda
  • 25
    future interviews. Also, you said in another comment you did film theory, acting, and set design! That would have been awesome for this role. You totally dodged a bullet!
    via u/matildawilda
  • 26
    Soft-Fig1415 I'm here to second the comment about sending them a copy. Keep it professional but let them know you saw something you shouldn't have seen.
    via u/Soft-Fig1415
  • 27
    cungyman To assert dominance, attach a photo of your high score in Super Mario Bros.
    via u/cungyman
  • 28
    sgtsausagepants Because children are widely know to not relate to video games....
    via u/sgtsausagepants
  • 29
    captrehtaeh My company uses Otter.ai and their transcripts are horrendous. It can't differentiate who is speaking, even if they are different genders AND different accents. 8/10 sentences are transcribed incorrectly, and that is not an exaggeration.
    via u/captrehtaeh
  • 30
    Not that this is much help, since it seems they won't be giving you the job, but they might not have said "video gamer."
    via u/captrehtaeh
  • 31
    Julie-Question THIS! I was about to jump because no one was saying it! So many comments suggesting legal action... but some of these Al tools are very bad, and in my experience, Otter is one of the worst. My team is multicultural and our native languages vary, so we have all different English accents. Otter has transcribed so many weird things because of that lol
    via u/Julie-Question
  • 32
    Helpful-Friend-3127 Im a c-suite professional at a bank. I am also a gamer...lol. I would think this would be a plus when working with children.
    via u/Helpful-Friend-3127
  • 33
    Considering that they dont even know how to turn the Al off, their opinion is ridiculous. I definitely would let them know what you saw..and be as snarky as you can while still being professional
    via u/Helpful-Friend-3127

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