The intern candidate responds
This blog post was written by a prospective intern candidate — a candidate who ignited a flurry of comments on the original blog post “A story about spunk and fight“ Before you read the post below, please read the original post and the follow up post “MyPunchbowl intern candidate, part 2“
One other important note about the below blog post: this post is EXACTLY what I was sent by the intern candidate, and I’d like to clarify one thing before you read the post. For the record, I didn’t walk into the conference room and ask her if she was a bitch — that question came about 10-15 minutes into the interview after we were joking around together. It was said completely in jest, and any reasonable person would have found it funny (and not inappropriate) given the banter in the room. For the record, what I actually said was something to the effect of “I’ve received lots of emails and comments about your original email — what everyone wants to know is ‘was that just an isolated incident over email or are you really a bitch?’”
After you read the post below I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you think this candidate should be hired as an intern at MyPunchbowl? Why or why not?
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“Are you really a bitch”, asked Matt Douglas as he walked into the conference room Tuesday morning. “Ahhhhhh! NOOOOOOOO, I’m not I swear!” I said laughing out loud with my head in my hands. This was my first encounter with the man whom I wrote one of the nastiest emails of my entire life to just days before. In the next hour and ten minutes we covered everything from my prior work experience, to why I want to work at Mypunchbowl, to whether I’m pro Jen or Pro Angelina, and of course we “touched” upon the infamous email. Why? That was his first question. Now before I go on I’m sure of a lot of you folks were asking the same question. Why would this girl, who wants…scratch that…needs a job so bad, send back such a response? Well you are just going to have to wait one more minute.
Matt concluded the interview by assigning me two tasks. The first one was his 24 hour test. The second was to write a follow up blog addressing three issues.
1. The nice people who responded
2. Satan’s cousins who responded
3. Why Mypunchbowl.com should hire me
Oh shit I thought. What the heck am I going to say to the Liz Philllips’ of the world? After one legal pad, a bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups, and a glass of wine later, I had my final answer Regis, human nature.
Now Liz I don’t know how it is in Canada, but here in the United States people sometimes have a bad day, ey? That email was shot off after days, weeks, no make that months of stress from this atrocious economy, coupled with 250…that’s right a quarter of a thousand…resumes sent out with no luck, and a days worth of diminutive tips. Was it rash, brash, and crass, of course it was, but did it let off a lot of steam? You bet your lucky Maple Leafs jersey it did.
I didn’t think I did the right thing or a very beneficial thing by sending that email. However it was just one of many that I sent that night into the dark abyss of cyberspace, with not a lot of hope and a pounding headache. So when my Blackberry went off fifteen minutes later with Matt’s response, I used the email as my outlet. But folks please keep in mind, did I know Matt was tall, bald, attended UNC, drove a black Acura, had a wife named Jessie, and celebrated Ground Hog day, no I did not. Mypunchbowl.com was just another open job listing on Craigslist and I couldn’t take rejection #251. To some this email was like screaming into a pillow, or writing in a journal. As tears welled up in my eyes, I thought why did I even go to College? Was it to be the first one in my family of seven with a College degree? Was it because all the cool kids were doing it? Was it because of the sweet discounts at EMS, the Y, and the tanning salon? No. I did it because I wanted to. I did it to better myself, and be self supportive. I felt that everything I worked so hard for, meant nothing and that people like this Matt Douglas guy want me to fail. Had I stepped away from the computer, walked outside into the 10 degree temperature, or went upstairs to play Wii tennis for ten minutes, I’m pretty sure that reply email would most likely never have existed. It was a momentary lapse in judgment and for that I’m sorry.
In addition, contrary to some of your beliefs, I do not believe that Matt Douglas owes me ANYTHING, I get plenty of socialization, and I’m pretty sure no one in the room is wearing body armor. The last time I threw a “tantrum” was at the tender age of eight when I got the beating of my life demanding “new clothes” while back to school shopping at the Salvation Army. And that “large chip” on my shoulder helped hold up my family when my mother went into Septic Shock last November, and left a seven year old boy worried and scared. Am I the best person on God’s green Earth, no I’m not. Am I the smartest? No I’m not. However I believe that I deserve this second chance, and I’m ready to give Mypunchbowl all of my spunk and fight.
And now in response to the people who had my back. I thank you. I know what I did was unprofessional, to say the least, but when it comes to remembering that we are all human, its people like you that I want on my team. It is people like you that I hope are nurses, doctors, and teachers. People like Liz, Lorne, and Lynnelle should stick to jobs like blogging, bounty hunters, and process servers.. I’m kidding. But in all honesty it was your faith in humanity, and kind words that made sure I was at that interview Tuesday morning.
At the age of 24 my career is just taking flight. I know that there are many bumps on the road ahead and I will encounter a lot of different personalities as I go. I will not always be right and there will be a lot of sacrifices. Most importantly I know that I’m very fortunate to have had the chance to re-do my first impression, had Matt Douglas been a one of the disagreeing commenter’s, I would not have been so lucky. On paper I might not be the most qualifying candidate, and some of you may still believe firmly that Matt is disregarding the red flags and is making a huge mistake if he hires me. However, I want this position at Mypunchbowl more than anything. I want to Work under Mr. Douglas and Ms. Fader and learn about this thriving start-up. I want to learn more about how websites work, and what it takes to keep them going. I want to be able to put down some solid marketing experience on my Resume, and learn more in the world of blogging which is growing at record speeds. Will this girl’s spunk and fight get her the position, I don’t know, but this experience is something that I will remember forever.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
She thinks you are tall?!?! That shows impaired judgment right there…
I would not hire her. Not only has she had all of these issues, but based on this post, her writing is not the strongest either. It was nice for you to give her a chance, but to me, she had to hit a grand slam. Instead, this was a groundout to the shortstop.
February 9th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
I don’t think she could have done better!
She seems like a compassionate, determined, and intriguing young woman. Anyone would be lucky to have her as a part of their team. Her willpower says it all, Matt. She’ll work wonders for MyPunchBowl. Hire her.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I love this interchange and the opportunity presented to both Matt and the candidate. She’s interested, interesting, and has done pretty well with her response. I’d definitely hire her as an intern as that is fairly low risk and is over quick.
February 10th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
She definitely appeals to the human desire to fight for the underdog. Although I can see where she’s coming from in her defense of her actions I wouldn’t want to hire someone that let their personal life affect their work in this way. It is a difficult balance to strike but a lot of people in very challenging roles do strike it successfully, there is not excuse for her not to, no matter how stressed. On the other hand if she is truly the strongest candidate then hire her, ad hope she’s learned her lesson, she is after all young and has the right to make a few mistakes whilst learning!
February 10th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
If interning involves writing, don’t hire her. I was going to make a joke about the fact that the Canadian “eh” is mispelled by her as “ay” and that that alone should disqualify her. Then I noticed the apostrophe where there shouldn’t be one, the fact that “septic shock” is capitalized for no apparent reason, and although her use of quotation marks isn’t demonstrably wrong, it is frequent enough and questionable enough to be suspicious.
On the other hand, if you don’t need her to write well, she doesn’t seem bad.
February 10th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Hey Matt can we just call this what it is? An internship.
I love your fire (we met a few years back during a PR conference in San Francisco), but let’s be honest here: you aren’t hiring a full time employee, let alone paying her enough to live. Max she’s getting $300 and great experience. Now we both know an internship can be invaluable to a career, and an intern at a small startup can be equal to a full time employee, but if you expect an intern to be a full time employee then it’s only fair you compensate the same way.
I worked for 9 months as an intern for $10 an hour at a national magazine and it was ultimately the difference between breaking into the industry and standing on the sidelines. But I also left a high paying job to follow my dreams and made the conscious decision to take the pay cut. I also looked for months and was turned down by magazines who told me I wasn’t qualified. I remember saying to one editor, “Not qualified? I’m willing to ditch a 100K-a-year job, move across the country and work for $8.50 an hour, eat ramen and fact check. What else do you want?”
I honestly loved her fire. Her balls. The ability to flip the bird and tell you how it was. That is the same fire that entrepreneurs display. The same fire you hear in coffee shops in Silicon Valley. The same fire you bring to the table when you discuss your passion for MyPunchbowl. She just needs a little more tact.
February 10th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
On gut instinct and logic combined, if it were me, I would not hire this young lady for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that she is already thinking about adding this job to her resume and moving on. She’s desperate for a job, not this job.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
First, I’m hurt that she didn’t mention me in her blog.
Second — I may steal the 24 Hour Test for one or more of my clients, thank you.
Third, as a consultant I could not move her forward without warning my client, there are simply unknowns about how she would perform under stress. Matt is very ably handling this on his own and he and his team have full knowledge of the entire experience, so only they can decide, and only they have to make that decision right.
So, did how did she do? I agree that her writing needs work, and since the position is an internship in marketing that is a problem. Unfortunately having just filled an entry level marketing position it is apparent to me that the vast majority of college graduates do not have the writing skills we expect. When you hire an intern or new graduate you are obligated to teach that person better skills and how to be a strong and productive team member. Matt seems more than able and willing to do that with the right person and only he knows how the candidate compares with others who have applied.
For me, it comes down to these questions: Did she learn something in this experience? Will she work to learn all she can on the job? Will she respect and work well with the other team members? Frankly, the answers aren’t clear from this blog. In fact, her blog is so focused on what she has gone through and what she wants — and not on what she can do for the company or what she can bring to the table — that I am not sure what she learned. Will she solve problems or create problems? Not having met her or seen other information, I will not presume to suggest one way or the other. One thing you need to know is whether this truly was out of character and the only way to do that is to talk with her prior bosses, professors and co-workers. Good luck to all of you.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
It’s not about how good her writing is. It’s about whether what she writes resonates with people - and it did with me. Her response is real enough for me to want to scream at her “What were you thinking?!” and “atta girl!” at the same time.
Whether you hire her or not, this incident has already taught her more than she bargained for and if not you, then someone else will hire her simply on the merit that she is capable of taking responsibility for her actions, meets challenges head on and when push comes to shove, she’s willing to fight dirty for what she believes in.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
An interesting tale. I’m curious as to whether you will hire her, or go for a different, as yet undisclosed candidate.
I do rather agree with a few of the previous commenters when it comes to grammar issues in her writing. There are a few instances of random capitalization and her rhetorical questions lack question marks - but grammar skills can be honed.
When do we learn the results Matt?
February 10th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Well, Matt. Now, you have an investment in this person - at least in time and certainly publicity.
What do you want? A good employee; a good writer; a spunky character with balls… “What is the job at hand?” is the number one question. “Do you like her” or “Can she banter with the big boys?” should be further down the list.
If you’re looking for good writing - look at her writing. If that’s there and you can stand her spunky character and balls, then hire her; end of story. I, however, get the distinct feeling she’s a “Yeah, but…” kind of person. We all know the type.
Note to spunky applicant: Nothing personal, babe. Just an observation from an experienced …bounty hunter.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
She’s already generating extra traffic to your blog just by virtue of being interesting and having her dealings with you publicized and promoted. Why not return the favor by hiring her?
Also, sending out 250 resumes is horrifying. Someone give her a break…
February 10th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
She is perfect! Hire her. She showed up for the interview, and that took chutzpah. She met your challenges. She may not be the best writer, but if she was, she wouldn’t be an intern candidate. I think she’ll be an asset and you already know that, in a pinch, she’ll stand up for herself, and be loyal to you and MyPunchbowl if it comes down to it.
February 10th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
I think it’s hilarious that your brother and your business partner had the same immediate first reaction, but we’ll diverge on the recommendation:
Dude, if she thinks you’re tall, hire her.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Hire. This. Girl.
When I was 24, my writing skills were not that great either. Perhaps they still aren’t. But aren’t internships all about learning?
I think she’s got heart - and at this point in the game, that’s what really matters.
Best of luck to you!
February 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am
So much for checking in “quickly” to see what happened! There’s been a lot written about this since my first comment, way back on day one.
I still feel that the candidate was way out of line with her original comments. They were unprofessional. However, she has since apologized, and shown some personality. That counts a lot in my books.
On the other hand, her writing was not great, and her language was rough in the piece she wrote. Not good. On the other OTHER hand, she’s still young and learning. So…
I’d express my concerns, and hire her. She made some mistakes, but we all learn a lot more from our mistakes than we do from what we get right. And the last thing any growing company needs is someone who never makes mistakes. I’d give her a chance, but make sure she knows that she’s the one who will determine whether or not she works out.
February 12th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Matt,
Hire her. Forget the typos, forget the outburst. The fact that she showed contrition and humor about the incident, AND the fact that she was a good sport about opening herself up publicly to possible harsh judgment and ridicule shows that she has some real character. Maybe she’s not the most qualified candidate you’ve received, but I’ve seen some real emotional maturity and resiliency just in this thread that I don’t see in people twice her age.
And if you hire her, I think you’d have one of the most hard-working, loyal people in you and your company’s future.
February 12th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Um . . . wow . . . where to start . . . Well, as I am in my own marketing deadline crunch at the moment, let me defer to Barbara Hart, who says what I would say, although probably more eloquently. To be honest, I have only been able to scan the rest of the comments . . .
To the candidate I’d like to say that I did wonder at the time of the original post if there were some US/Canada differences afoot, such as the endemic class structure that seems to undermine the so-called meritocracy the US purports to support when in reality the old boys networks are still hoarding all the juicy jobs. I dunno. I always did think Canada was the real land of milk and honey. ; )
I hear your pain re the rejections and your life history. In no way do I want to belittle any of that. Sadly, as human as these experiences are, we cannot use them to explain away certain behviours in a work context. Believe me, I’ve tried. But now you know. Lesson learned. I work with people with horrendous personal stories, but they get the job done and don’t act out. Just be careful about that, that’s all. And this comes from someone who fracked up from 20 - 39 (I’m 40 now) so cut your mistake years shorter than mine, kiddo.
I sincerely wish for you the job that makes the most of your skills, your heart and your soul. There is a reason this whole thing happened, so make use of it. I wish you the absolute best.
Scary Liz Phillips