Jobless for 8 months, man quits delayed ‘VP-level interview’ for this reason: 'If they can't respect...'

A person who is laid off is often considered a hard-pressed job seeker, willing to accept anything and everything by some employers. However, a 43-year-old man, who had been laid off for eight months, chose “dignity over desperation”.

In a video shared on Instagram, the man said he was called for a “VP-level interview”. He did not specify whether the interview was conducted for a Vice President–level role or was taken by a Vice President as part of senior hiring.

The man documented his experience through an Instagram reel and revealed that he had been called for the interview at 8 pm, but was made to wait for an hour — something he described as a “red flag there itself”.

“I should be desperate, but this interview was supposed to start at 8 pm, a red flag there itself, starting so late, but they made me wait past 9 pm,” the user, who goes by the name @midlifereboot43, shared.

He said that if a company treats a prospective employee this way even before joining, he was unsure how things would turn out post joining.

“I don’t know how bad it would be once I joined. So let’s see. We’ll move to the next job, the next role, the next interview. This reboot will continue.”

The man, who has a financial runway of six to eight months without employment, captioned his Instagram post: “Always choose dignity over desperation.”

The video has since gone viral and garnered numerous responses online, with several users applauding him for his actions, while some suggested that he should have waited a little longer.

One user commented, “You did the right thing. This is indicative of culture.”

A second user wrote, “I disagree. Interview delays are common and can happen due to various reasons.”

“You’ve done the absolute right thing here. Maybe they will treat the next candidate with dignity. Kudos!” another user commented.

A third user said: “More power to you! If they can’t respect your time, they don’t deserve your time. You’ll find something that’s truly meant for you.”

A fourth user said: “I disagree. Interview delays are common and can happen due to various reasons. I would have still attended the interview to gain experience; the outcome is secondary. This is only my perspective, no offense meant.”

A fifth user said: “Who schedules a meeting at 8 pm???? Unless it’s in a different timezone via Teams.”