I want to share something that happened to me recently. Unfortunately, I’m seeing more and more posts about this and so I thought I would chime in. This latest trend is truly mind fuc**ng.

A few weeks ago I interviewed and was offered a job with a nationwide photography company. I was given a start date for training that was the following Tuesday - 2 business days later. I arranged my schedule with my current job (teaching music at a school that closed on 31 July) to accommodate their request that I start as soon as possible for training and full on shadowing on 3 Aug so I could finish my week with my students.

On the day I was to begin my training I drove an hour to the studio and was on time. After an hour it was brought to my attention that I hadn’t completed all of my paperwork so they sent me home. An hour later I opened my phone to a text saying they were letting me go because I hadn’t completed all the paperwork and drug test - which I always pass because, you know, I don’t do drugs.

To be clear - I had signed the offer letter, filled out the background check, and the employee agreement and given them my bank information for direct deposit. I can’t imagine there was much left to fill out aside from the drug test.

This idea of offering someone a job and then taking it away is absolutely an abhorrent and nasty practice. This job was my lifeline that was to carry me into November as I continue my search for full time higher paying work.

Now that the school has closed I have nothing. I wish companies would stop doing this to candidates. It’s not nice. So yeah, all this grief for a $20/hour photography job.