Hiring manager kindles job-search discourse with a negative remark about an applicant who claimed that their personal interest is "olive oil": 'That is not an interest. It’s been hours, and I cannot stop thinking about it. There won't be an interview'

A banking hiring manager who claimed to reject a candidate because of their unusual personal interest ignited online discourse about hiring, jobs, and even the entire nature of the way we approach work itself. 

What makes someone qualified to do a job? Is it writing a CV that contains all the right keywords necessary for a recruitment professional, who works for an organization that does technical work, and who kind of understands the premise of that technical work, but doesn't really understand enough to do it themselves, to be able to read it and pass your CV on to the next level? 

Is it writing a great cover letter that somehow shows both your aptitude and experience while giving some insight into your character or your sensibilities? Or is it sitting and enduring an hour-long interview where a panel of judges bombards you with questions and comments like you're an "American Idol" contestant and assesses your capability of doing work in which you will never face this particular situation again? 

The reality is that in your work itself, you will almost never be writing a CV, or a cover letter, or sitting in a panel interview. And, yet, these things are regarded as the best tools that we have for weeding out the unworthy and identifying that prime, ideal candidate… Why?

And that's before you get into unpacking all the tricks and hacks that "hard-nosed" wannabe business magnates and deluded hiring managers claim to employ in order to analyze candidates at some unknown cosmic level that has more in common with horoscopes than anything real or concrete.

From where I'm sitting, most of this is hoopla and codswallop, but it really does beg the question: What else is there? What other way should we be vetting candidates and whittling them down to a manageable few that can be properly focused on? 

That's an answer I don't have.

But, it remains a fact that our entire current process is time-consuming for both parties, and going through an unsuccessful hiring process as a manager feels like a sink of wasted resources. (Which really does make you pause and wonder why organizations don't put more into staff retention in the first place.) 

But for a candidate, this time-sink is multiplied by the tens, hundreds, if not thousands of times. Completing untold applications, customized CVs, and fresh cover letters all take so much time. Just to be met with an automated rejection or flat-out being ghosted.

Like what you see? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google. 

Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
Add us on Google
Advertisement
  • A bottle of olive oil sits on a dish on a dining table
    via Juan Gomez

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

  • “The worst they can say is no.”

    “The worst they can say is no.” Gets a whole new meaning when it comes to a job application. Really, in this day and age, the statement should be amended to, “The worst they can do is send you an automated AI-written rejection email without any explanation as to why."

    While you never know unless you try, and put your best foot forward, and put your hat in the ring. But when each application takes hours, and there are only so many jobs available in your field, receiving nothing but a response that has had little to no thought put into it just feels devastating, especially when you seemingly had all of the qualifications on paper. 

    It can leave you wondering just what went wrong. You're putting in all this work with no feedback, wondering if you've missed something obvious on your CV or cover letters. Everywhere you look, there's another potential pitfall or another red flag that you're potentially unintentionally signaling for some reason, but you can never know for certain until you land that job.

    For this candidate, well, they might be doing everything right, but they missed out on at least one job, getting passed up for even getting an interview, simply because of the personal interest they listed: olive oil.

    Whereas so many others list personal interests such as hiking, biking, reading, going to the gym, yoga, and music, this candidate saw the chance to share their love of olive oil with the world, hoping to strike up some conversation and im-”press” their knowledge on hiring managers. 

    An X (formerly Twitter) user claiming to be either a hiring manager or a recruiter for a bank shared an innocuous tweet with a personal anecdote about how important it is to be “normal” and “well adjusted” when applying for banking roles. This has sparked an ongoing conversation and debate over the last 24 hours about what “normal” is and whether you actually want to hire “the olive oil guy” for roles.

    There are valid points on both sides, but I, for one, think that there is some truth to wanting to hire someone who is unique and authentic and able to be dedicated enough to something to become an expert in it. And, yes, even if that thing is olive oil.

  • 90 Days... @90daysliq... Cannot stress how much of an advantage it is to be a normal, well adjusted, applicant for banking roles. I reviewed a resume that listed "olive oil" as an interest. That is not an interest. It's been hours and I cannot stop thinking about it. There will not be an interview. 6:09 AM Jan 28, 2026 · 8.3M Views • 1.9K 3.7K 109K ☐ 6K 1,
    via 90daysliquidity
  • Worm P... @Wor... Jan 28 • "don't be even slightly eccentric. you might run into a recruiter like me." 10 84 6.6K|||| 75K ↑
    via 90daysliquidity
  • dere... @diew....Jan 28 • • • why? he knows olive oil and you'e extra virgin 48 172 16K | 357K↑
    via 90daysliquidity
  • Resyp... @Re... • Jan 28 There is a guy out there who put olive oil on their resume and you do not wanna interview and find out wtf thats about? Fam u sure u in the right job? 3 19 2K 60K↑ ili
    via 90daysliquidity
  • Rob ... @rober.... Jan 28 "Olive oil" is as valid as interest as "Wine" 30 15 4.2Kill 125K1
    via 90daysliquidity
  • A bottle of olive oil is poured into a glass
    via Fulvio Ciccolo

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

  • High Yiel... @Highyield H... "Billy this is our top applicant. He has a 3.95 GPA, he's working himself through college, is President of his Investment Club, and has two prior IB internships. His flaw is his favorite hobby is Olive Oil." WIN % RECORD OAK 884 'W 2001 884645147481 EXPECTED ACTUAL EXPECTED ACTUAL 781456 6525 6296 106-56 102-60 OAK 84 2002 PROTECTION BY S 67546 107.8631 6143 99-63 0-0 SEA 9225 2001 92727 859729 72SAYSE 6861 7160111-51 722.500 1184700 .6097 99-63 1754785 5597 5864 91-
    via @HighyieldHarry
  • Quantian @quantian1 I would interview someone with a listed interest in "olive oil" almost irrespective of the rest of their resume, that's the kind of hyper tism that will absolutely mint at the right firm
    via @quantian1
  • Efficient ... @EffMktHype There won't be a second interview, but at least they'll know the difference between cold-pressed and cold-extracted olive oil. 000
    via @EffMktHype
  • Michael ... @ShaleTier7 The guy that lists "olive oil" as his interest will generate more lifetime alpha than the "hiking", "biking", and "running" crowd combined. 90 Days... @90d....Jan 28 Cannot stress how much of an advantage it is to be a normal, well adjusted, applicant for banking roles. • 10:18 AM · Jan 28, 2026 284.3K • Views 71 7133 5.8K 241 Dictio
    via @ShaleTier7
  • Finance G... @GuyInFinan... Follow I'm at the investing bank interview naming off olive oil brands you can't even comprehend 90 Days Li... ❤ @90day... Jan 28 Cannot stress how much of an advantage it is to be a normal, well adjusted, applicant for banking roles. I reviewed a resume that listed "olive ... 1:01 PM Jan 28, 2026 315.7K Views 22 17329 13K ☐ 221 ↑
    via GuyInFinance

Like what you see? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google. 

Tags

employment issues antiwork twitter jobs employment-discussion job seeker workplace job interview interview employment
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From FAIL Blog

Entitled woman shames rushing train passenger for not stopping to help her with the ticket machine, so he gives her a hard pill to swallow: ‘She's not entitled to anyone's help’

Entitled woman shames rushing train passenger for not stopping to help her with the ticket machine, so he gives her a hard pill to swallow: ‘She's not entitled to anyone's help’

Trending Now

'Good luck finding a replacement for me': Employee resigns after manager downplays his work, prompting four other employees to quit

'Good luck finding a replacement for me': Employee resigns after manager downplays his work, prompting four other employees to quit

01
Employee confronts upper management for mishandling his schedule, boss refuses to be held accountable: 'They threatened to fire me if I expressed myself “that way” again.'

Employee confronts upper management for mishandling his schedule, boss refuses to be held accountable: 'They threatened to fire me if I expressed myself “that way” again.'

02
Neighbor shovels snow from elderly resident's driveway every morning, decides to confront other neighbors for not offering to help too: ‘How would you feel if she was your mother?’

Neighbor shovels snow from elderly resident's driveway every morning, decides to confront other neighbors for not offering to help too: ‘How would you feel if she was your mother?’

03
Business owner refuses to share the PIN to sensitive work documents with their employee: ‘I want things done legally and safely’

Business owner refuses to share the PIN to sensitive work documents with their employee: ‘I want things done legally and safely’

04
15+ Employees whose coworkers quit in front of everyone: 'Saw 2 people quit mid-shift'

15+ Employees whose coworkers quit in front of everyone: 'Saw 2 people quit mid-shift'

05
28-year-old employee professionally gets back at entitled supervisor by giving HR the paper trail of her incompetence, becomes her supervisor's supervisor: ‘I waited and won!’

28-year-old employee professionally gets back at entitled supervisor by giving HR the paper trail of her incompetence, becomes her supervisor's supervisor: ‘I waited and won!’

06
Advertisement