Given the rise of remote work, many companies are choosing to use videos as part of the job application process.
These video applications can take multiple forms. In some cases, an applicant may simply describe their qualifications for the role. In others, the job may provide a series of questions for the applicant that they must answer one by one.
While applicants may now be used to this process, that doesn’t mean that it always goes as planned, as TikTok user Kathy Nguyen (@kathynguyen403) documents in a now-viral video.
In a clip with over 743,000 views, Kathy shows herself filling out a video application. While answering the second question, she stumbles over her words, screaming out of frustration.
She then discovers that she cannot redo her answer.
@kathynguyen403 The hiring process is my worst nightmare. Maybe i shouldnt have quit my current job
♬ original sound – Kathy Nguyen
“No! I can’t unsend it?” Kathy yells. “No! Stop, this isn’t funny.”
In the caption, she added, “The hiring process is my worst nightmare. Maybe i shouldnt have quit my current job.”
While it appears that she still had one attempt remaining, Kathy explains in a follow-up video that this wasn’t actually the case.
@kathynguyen403 Replying to @yourmanfavoriteaquarius1 ♬ original sound – Kathy Nguyen
In the comments of the original video, Kathy noted that she had “practiced for like an hour” prior to answering the questions. The scream was a result of not being satisfied with her answers and phrasing despite this practice.
“Clearly, it was a bad day for me,” she says in the clip.
She also explains that her casual attire and informality were in response to the company’s direction that the video interview was just to “see her face,” and would soon be followed by an in-person interview.
“Looking back at it, I shouldn’t have looked like that,” she says. “I also shouldn’t have said ‘your guys’s,’ or ‘work area,’ or anything that I said. But you know what? I did. And that’s the painful part.”
In the comments section under both videos, users shared similar stories from their own video applications.
“You aren’t alone. I pretended that my connection froze mid sentence during one these,” claimed a user. “One way interview[s] are a waste of time.”
“I can never record myself bc i always end up laughing or stuttering,” added another.
“I did this!! I didn’t realize I was out of takes and I was practicing!!” recalled a third. “I just accepted the L and exited the application.”
Some claimed to have done something similar to Kathy—but they still received the job.
“I did this with my target application and still got hired hahaha,” said a commenter.
“I literally said ‘UGHHHH’ on a video interview and STILL got the job bro,” alleged a second.
“I did this for a job at Cartoon Network and I got it,” remembered an additional user. “They loved the cringe.”
In an Instagram direct message conversation with the Daily Dot, Kathy said she is actually part of this latter group. Kathy claimed she ended up submitting the application as-is, scream included—and was invited for a follow-up interview.
“I actually was selected to move on to the third interview, but I decided not to proceed with the company,” Kathy wrote. “It turned out to be a sales position, and something tells me I’m not going to be good at it.”
As for video interviews in general, Kathy said her thoughts are mixed.
“I get why they are there — it’s convenient and everything has moved to virtual, but personally, I don’t think it’s a good alternative for people with anxiety who overthink,” she detailed.
