Teenjobhopeful rejected with a smiley face text
A teenAge girl was rejected from a job at a restaurant by a text showing a ‘crying with laughter’ emoji.
Megan Dixon, 18, applied for a part-time waitressing role at the upmarket Miller and Carter steakhouse chain.
the teenager had been interviewed by branch assistant manager, Shantel Wesson, 32, who told her that she would hear back after a few days through her email.
But within seconds of leaving the restaurant in enderby, Leicestershire, Miss Dixon received a text telling her: ‘It’s a no’.
After Miss Dixon asked why she had been rejected, she received another message mocking her use of the word ‘like’ and ending with an emoji – a small digital image used to express an emotion – depicting ‘crying with laughter’.
the text read: ‘Just not engaging. And answers were “like” basic x’.
Miss Dixon said: ‘It was so rude. the least she should have given me was some proper feedback.
‘And the laughing face emoji was so unprofessional. It was a really bitchy thing to do.’
Miss Dixon said that after the interview Miss Wesson ‘didn’t even shake my hand, didn’t have my CV out and was just sat drinking a coffee’.
She told the Sun: ‘Maybe because I’m 18 she thinks it’s OK not to be professional with me?’
Miller and Carter sells steaks for up to £27 each and advises guests to ‘dress to impress’.
Miss Dixon is currently working on her A-levels and has received a number of offers to study sociology at university in September.
Her mother Karen Dixon, 44, a book-keeper, yesterday criticised the restaurant’s conduct.
‘I was shocked, she said. ‘It’s unprofessional behaviour from a luxury brand’. She added that Miss Wesson’s ‘It’s a no’ made her sound like an X Factor judge.
‘It’s a bit gutting for young people looking for jobs,’ she said. ‘At that age they obviously haven’t had much experience of job interviews and it affects their confidence.’
Mrs Dixon said she and her husband Paul, 50, had ‘high hopes’ for their daughter. ‘She’s academic and a clever girl, she’s doing her Alevels right now and is on target’.
the couple also have an elder daughter ellie, 20, who is at university, and Megan’s twin Will.
Miller and Carter had advertised up to 50 jobs at its new branch in enderby.
Yesterday Miss Wesson refused to comment but a Miller and Carter spokesman said: ‘We can’t apologise enough to Megan.
‘It was never our intention to be disrespectful or upset her in any way. the texts were sent in error and were intended for our manager, not the candidate.’
She added that the matter was being taken ‘extremely seriously’ and would be investigated.