Applications asking to state your interest in the company.
I just had 2 different applications tonight ask me to write out an answer about why I am applying for the job. Does anyone else find this incredibly annoying? Like I saw the job and I’m qualified. Why do I also need to stroke the ego of the recruiters? What the heck do they even want us to write there
Jobadvisor
That frustration is totally valid — it's one of the most tedious parts of modern job applications, especially when you're doing multiple in one night.
Here's the thing though: what they're actually looking for isn't ego-stroking. It's usually one of a few things:
They want to filter out spray-and-pray applicants. A lot of people apply to dozens of jobs with zero thought. A one-line answer immediately signals "I didn't really read this posting."
They want to see you can connect the dots. Something like: why this role + why this company + why now in your career. Even a generic version of that formula works.
They're checking basic communication skills. Especially for roles that involve any writing, client contact, or communication.
The honest shortcut most people use:
"I'm drawn to [Company] because of [one specific thing — their product, their market, their mission, something from the job posting]. This role aligns with where I'm trying to grow in [X skill/area], and I think my background in [Y] would let me contribute quickly."
That's it. Two to three sentences, sounds genuine, takes 90 seconds to adapt per application. You don't have to mean it deeply — you just have to not sound like a bot.
Recruiter changed the job I applied for
So I applied for a specific job with a specific location and specific hours. During the phone screen, the recruiter asked if I’d be open to other shifts as well and I said sure (which I shouldn’t have said). Anyways, a week later, I got an interview with the hiring manager, and found out that I was interviewing for a job that would be in multiple locations (floater position, locations are 1-2 hours apart), and would be any shift they need me (pretty much I’d be an extra wherever they need people that day/time). I was hired on the spot, but felt confused, so I logged in to the portal. And it turns out, the job I interviewed for/got wasn’t even the job I applied to. It was similar, but a different title and this job had multiple locations/shifts. The job I did apply to is still open, but in the notes it tells me to apply for other jobs. This new job shows that I applied to it a day before the interview (which I did not, I only applied to the other job over a week ago). Won’t be accepting the offer, don’t have reliable transportation and need a fixed schedule, I wish someone would have told me what they were doing beforehand so I wouldn’t have wasted my time.
Jobadvisor
Ugh, that is incredibly frustrating, and you have every right to feel annoyed. What they did was a classic bait-and-switch.
First, do not beat yourself up for saying you were "open to other shifts" during the phone screen. In a normal, respectful hiring process, saying "sure, I'm open" means “I’m flexible if the core job changes slightly,” not “Please secretly apply on my behalf to an entirely different, highly chaotic floater position without telling me.”
The recruiter took your politeness as a green light to fill a hard-to-staff role, and moving your application in the portal without your consent is shady behavior. You didn't waste your time—they wasted your time by being deceptive.
Since you already know you are turning it down, here is a quick guide on how to handle it cleanly, along with a script you can use.
Why Saying "No" is 100% the Right Call
The Commute is a Dealbreaker: A 1-to-2-hour radius for a "floater" role without reliable transportation is a recipe for extreme stress, late arrivals, and high Uber/public transit costs.
The Schedule is Unstable: An "any shift they need me" role makes it impossible to plan your life, sleep schedule, or personal commitments.
Trust Was Broken: If they are this disorganized or deceptive before you even start, it usually gets worse once you are on the payroll.
How to Decline the Offer
You don't need to go on a rant to them (even though they deserve it), but you can politely make it clear that the job you were offered is not the job you applied for.
Here is a professional, firm script you can email the recruiter:
Subject: Job Offer - [Your Name]
Hi [Recruiter Name],
Thank you so much for the offer for the [New Job Title] position.
After reviewing the details discussed with the hiring manager, I am writing to formally decline the offer. I originally applied for the [Original Job Title] role because it offered a fixed schedule and a specific location. A floating position with variable shifts and locations up to two hours away does not align with my current scheduling needs or transportation situation.
I would have appreciated being informed that I was being considered for a completely different role prior to the interview, as I want to respect everyone's time.
If the original [Original Job Title] position becomes available for interview under its original terms, please let me know. Otherwise, I wish you the best in filling this role.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
The Silver Lining
Look at it this way: you passed the interview and were hired on the spot. That means your resume is strong, your phone screen went well, and the hiring manager liked you. You have the skills to get hired—you just need to find a company that respects your time and plays fair.
Chalk this up as a bullet dodged, send your refusal, and keep looking for a team that actually deserves you!
Why does my boss want me to be alone in the office?
For context, I am a Marketing Coordinator and 100% of my job can be done remotely, yet I am only allowed 1 working from home day a week.
Today I came into the office and it was completely empty. Like all 12 desks empty. The entire office is barren and I messaged my boss and she said that everyone has things off site or are working from home, I asked if I could go to work from home and she has just ghosted me.
I genuinely do not understand why I need to be sitting here, it’s actually immensely more distracting for me sitting alone in a big empty office. It’s also really frustrating she just ghosted when I asked. I don’t even have any meetings today. All my work is remote. This is actually so stupid.
Jobadvisor
That's genuinely frustrating, and your confusion makes complete sense. If everyone else is off-site or WFH, what exactly is the policy enforcing at that point?
A few possible reasons your boss might have this stance, none of which she's communicated well:
She may not actually know you're alone. She might have assumed at least some people would be in, and now that you've flagged it's completely empty, she's not sure what to say — hence the ghosting. She might be quietly figuring it out.
Visibility/presence politics. Some managers equate being in the office with commitment or productivity, even when the work is 100% remote-compatible. It's not rational, but it's common, especially with coordinators who are seen as needing to be "reachable."
She may not have the authority to make an exception. The WFH policy might come from above her, and approving an ad-hoc WFH day for you could feel like opening a door she can't easily close — even if today seems like an obvious exception.
She might just be a poor communicator under pressure. Ghosting a reasonable question is a red flag for conflict-avoidance, not malice. She probably doesn't have a great answer and is hoping the day just passes.
What I'd suggest: don't let it stew silently. Send one more message, something like "Just checking in — happy to stay, but since the office is completely empty today, wanted to confirm if there's a specific reason you need me here. Otherwise I'd be just as reachable from home." Short, professional, and it puts the ball back in her court without escalating.
If she keeps ghosting, stay, document it mentally, and bring it up in your next 1:1 as a question about the WFH policy more broadly. The policy itself sounds worth pushing back on over time.
Marketing wants to put me on the recruitment page and I can't figure out how to say no without seeming weird.
Got an email yesterday from someone in talent acquisition asking if I'd be willing to "share my remote work story" for a new careers page they're building. They picked five employees they thought would be "great representatives of our distributed culture." I was apparently one of them.
The ask is a 90-second video. They'd send a videographer. He'd set up in my apartment. I'd answer five questions. I'd be on the website. They'd push the page on LinkedIn.
I do not want to do this.
I also cannot find a reason to give that doesn't sound like I'm being difficult. I am not famous. I am not in witness protection. My apartment is not a mess. I just genuinely do not want my couch on the company careers page being scrolled past by people who don't work here.
Three of the five people they picked alredy said yes. One of them messaged me yesterday saying "are you doing yours? Mine's tomorrow." She is excited about it. She bought a new lamp.
I think I am going to say my dog is reactive to strangers in the house. The dog is reactive to strangers in the house. This is not technically a lie. But it's also not the real reason.
The real reason is that I work remote because work is supposed to stay on the laptop. Not on the bookshelf behind me. Not on the rug. Not on the painting my sister did when she got out of her bad year.
I'm going to send the email tomorrow morning. Wish me luck I guess.
Jobadvisor
I see you, and I completely validate this. You are not being "weird" or difficult. There is a massive, highly valid boundary between "I am an employee who does good work on my laptop" and "I want my private living space and face used as corporate marketing material indefinitely."
Working remotely means your home is your sanctuary. Inviting a production crew into your safe space, having them rearrange your furniture, and broadcasting your personal environment (and your sister’s meaningful artwork) to the entire internet is a huge ask. It is entirely reasonable to want to keep your public professional persona separate from your private domestic life.
Before you send that email, let’s tweak your strategy just a bit.
Why the Dog Excuse Might Backfire
The reactive dog excuse is valid, but it has a loophole: a eager Marketing/TA team might just say, "Oh, no problem! We can rent a co-working space for two hours, or you can come into the local office hub, or we can do it via Zoom with a blurred background!" Then you’re stuck fabricating a second excuse, which will make you feel awkward.
The Better Approach: The Polite, Firm Boundary
The best way to say no without sounding weird is to be polite, brief, and offer zero room for negotiations. You don't need a dramatic reason (like witness protection). You just need to state your boundary as a fixed fact.
Here are three ways to frame it, depending on how transparent you want to be.
Option 1: The "On-Camera Shy" (Safest & Most Common)
People in corporate spaces decline video requests all the time simply because they hate being on camera. It’s highly relatable and rarely questioned.
"Hi [Name],
Thanks so much for reaching out and for considering me for this! I’m flattered to be thought of as a good representative of our remote culture.
However, I’m incredibly camera-shy and really uncomfortable with the idea of being featured in public marketing videos, so I’m going to have to pass on this one.
I’m happy to support the launch by sharing or liking the page on LinkedIn once it’s live, though! Best of luck with the shoot."
Option 2: The "Private Home" Boundary (Honest but Professional)
This addresses your actual boundary without getting into the heavy emotional details.
"Hi [Name],
Thank you for the invite! I love our remote culture, but I have a strict personal rule about keeping my home environment completely separate from public-facing company media, so I won't be able to participate in the video shoot.
I appreciate you thinking of me, and I can't wait to see how the final careers page turns out with the rest of the team!"
Option 3: The Combo (Using your dog as a secondary buffer)
If you really want to use your dog as the primary reason, pair it with a firm stance on video so they don't try to offer an alternative location.
"Hi [Name],
Thanks for reaching out! I’m flattered to be asked, but I won’t be able to participate. My apartment isn’t set up to host a video crew (my dog is highly reactive to strangers in the house), and truth be told, I’m also pretty camera-shy when it comes to public marketing campaigns.
Hope the shoot goes great with the rest of the group tomorrow!"
A Quick Reality Check for Your Peace of Mind
The enthusiastic coworker: Let her enjoy her new lamp! Her comfort level with blending her home and work life has no bearing on yours.
Talent Acquisition's reaction: They deal with people declining compliance, photos, and videos all the time. They will likely just say "No problem!" and ask person number six on their list. They won't think you're weird; they'll just move on to someone who wants the spotlight.
Keep your sanctuary yours. Send the email, close the laptop, and enjoy your couch in total privacy. Good luck!