Starting out, we all struggle to find work. Whether it’s giving up a job to freelance or being fresh out of college desperate for our first break – paying jobs are hard to find. Which is why the saga unfolding at the My Punch Bowl blog piqued my interest and reminded me of how it feels to be desperate for work.

Background:

My Punch Bowl posted an ad on Craigslist for a marketing intern. They received dozens of applications. Matt Douglas, founder and CEO, was going through the applications when the subject line of an application caught his attention. As he opened it, he realized that there was a typo in the in it. On principle, he could not consider the candidate but she had a great resume. On a whim decided to send the applicant an email telling her why he was rejecting her as he wanted to see what her response would be.

The Applicant’s Response

The reply he got to his email was something he probably wouldn’t even have dreamed of. The hopeful applicant sent him a scathing reply and blasted him for ruining her chances because of a typo.

Matt instead of getting up on his high horse, liked the spunk of the girl. Even though she’d been rude, disrespectful and downright unprofessional, something in her email resonated with him and he emailed back inviting her for an interview.

The Interview

The interview went well but she had to do a 24-hour test and send in a blog post response explaining her side of the story and respond to the numerous comments that had come in when Matt posted about the incident.

The Decision

The jury is still out on the decision but Matt posted the applicant’s response.

Regardless of how this story ends, as struggling freelancers, this incident has brought home a few things.

What are your view on this? What lessons have you derived from the incident?

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