In a series of viral videos, TikToker Penny Pink (@xo_pennypink) details her experience interviewing for a job at a local consignment store. Penny claims the owner of the store became passive-aggressive once she saw her resume and refused to negotiate wages.
“I never called back,” she captioned the final video. “Don’t give someone decency when they don’t give you the same.”
@xo_pennypink inSANEEEEE job interview pt. 1 #fyp #literallyohmygod #job #terriblejobs #badinterview #crazylady #psychoboss ♬ original sound – xo, penny pink💖✨
In her first video regarding the situation, Penny explains how she called the store prior to visiting and spoke with the owner on the phone.
“She was like, ‘Oh my gosh, all your credentials and everything sound great,’ which is key,” Penny says of her conversation with the owner. “‘Your voice sounds wonderful. I’m getting such a good vibe from you. Everything should be great. I think I’d love to have you here.’”
That Friday, Penny went into the store for an informal interview, but she says it wasn’t what she expected.
“It’s Friday,” she says. “I just went into the fucking place, and the lady is crazy.”
When Penny walked in, she says the owner was helping out a customer.
“I start overhearing the owner commenting on the client’s body,” Penny says. “Not once, not twice, but three separate times. And I thought, ‘Wow, this is so toxic. I’m literally never, never working here.’”
Penny adds that as she was waiting for the owner, another client came in hoping to sell their clothing. She watched as the two allegedly haggled over the pricing of the items.
“They’re like beefing over there in the corner,” she says. The owner proceeded to tell Penny that the client will never be allowed back in her store.
@xo_pennypink insane psycho bat shxt interview pt. 2 #fyp #job #terriblejobs #badinterview #crazylady #psychoboss ♬ original sound – xo, penny pink💖✨
Once the client left, Penny says she finally had her conversation with the owner. After looking over her resume, she claims the owner became passive-aggressive toward her.
“All of a sudden, it’s not enough. It’s not good enough,” Penny says of her qualifications.
The owner asked her to come work for a day and see where it goes from there, Penny says.
“She was trying to end the conversation there,” she says, before they had discussed wages. She asked for $20 an hour, based on her previous experience and knowledge of retail and fashion. However, she claims the owner then began insulting her in a “sly way.”
The TikToker claims the owner then became angry and asked her for “a book” containing her previous job achievements and references, in order to justify paying her $20 an hour.
“Mind you, I have not been interested [in the job], since I walked through the fucking door,” Penny says. “The vibes were rancid when I entered.”
Penny says the owner then continually went on about how she couldn’t pay her that rate and mentioned that the grocery store across the street paid $12 an hour.
@xo_pennypink i never called back. don’t give someone decency when they don’t give you the same. FINAL PARTTTT #fyp #job #terriblejobs #badinterview #crazylady #psychoboss ♬ original sound – xo, penny pink💖✨
“As soon as I ask for what I’m worth, it changes,” she says. “It changes to, now, I’m the one who’s being insulting to her.”
Her first video received over 511,00 views, while the second and third received over 82,000 and 426,000 respectively. Penny’s experience sparked discussion about fair pay in the comments.
A few users argued that $20 an hour was too much to ask for. “Sounds like the boss doesn’t even make $20 an hour,” one user said.
However, many viewers criticized the store owner’s behavior and argued that the creator asked for a fair wage.
“That’s the moment to say back ‘if your broke, just say so.’ And walk out of the interviews,” one user said.
“I wonder if when she saw your resume she realized you weren’t going to be easy to take advantage of which is why she got an attitude,” another wrote.
“$20/hour isn’t even a livable wage anymore!!! One hour of your hard work for 4 gallons of gas… or 3 things from the grocery store… wtf America,” a third argued.
The Daily Dot reached out to Penny via TikTok comment and email.
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