Job advert takes aim at ‘flaky’ Millennials

A THEATRE company has come under fire after it posted a “patronising” advertisement attacking young people for knowing nothing about the real world.

Tea House Theatre’s advertisement for an office administrator posted on Arts Jobs, a website run by the Arts Council, was addressed “Dear Millenials” [sic], and provoked a backlash on social media, as it was labelled “obnoxious”.

The advertisement said the theatre was looking for “a grafter, who can commit”, who would be paid a salary of £15,000 to £20,000.

But it went on to say: “Are you just not taught anything about existing in the real world, where every penny counts? Did no one teach you that the end of your studies is the beginning of your education?”

It was removed yesterday by administrators who said it breached their terms by targeting a specific age group.

The south London fringe theatre company said it had posted the advertisement three times in as many months due to the poor quality of candidates. It ended the advertisement by claiming: “We have not been impressed so far.”

Miranda Debenham said she was interviewed for the role earlier this year. She said: “The interviewer was eating breakfast during the interview, questioned whether I had got the experience I had because I am a woman, and therefore the diversity hire, and emphasised that he would shout at me a lot.”

Harry Iggulden, director at Tea House Theatre, said he wrote the job advertisement out of “frustration” at the “thin-skinned and narrow-minded” applications he had so far received.

“Obviously, I was writing it with a bit of frustration, and I was a bit disappointed with the job market,” Mr Iggulden, 45, said. “Goodness gracious me, it was only a job advert. People seem to be ever so irate. I am not attacking anyone, I am making a point about my experience. ”