5 ms·

We are unable to offer you a job because your name doesn't work with db schema

45 points by searchableguy 7y ago

searchableguy 7y ago
I am just curious for what reasons can above happen. The most obvious one seems that someone decided to make first name the primary key and now they are stuck with the problem but still that doesn't feel right to me.
- a3n 7y ago
  The other obvious one is that what the company rep said is not the actual problem. Because what the company rep said is ludicrous.
  - ashtonkem 7y ago
    Maybe, but why offer an explanation at all. Most companies that rejected me gave me a bland “we’ve decided to pursue other candidates”.
    - dlivingston 7y ago
      Option 3 is that this is a shitpost and isn’t a real exchange at all.
- burfog 7y ago
  That is how the real world works. If you are told to deliver your TPS reports to Jeffery, it would be bad to have more than one Jeffery. You couldn't reliably deliver your TPS reports. Therefore, only one Jeffery can be hired.
def8cefe 7y ago
The company name according to one of his screenshots is 'Tech for Good.' On their careers page the only opening is a Data Scientist... if it's real this is a hilarious way of weeding out unqualified applicants.
- def8cefe 7y ago
  Tweet with company name: https://twitter.com/yephph/status/1249265056275021830/photo/1 https://twitter.com/yephph/status/1249265056275021830/photo/... Tech for Good careers page: http://www.techforgood.global/jobs/ http://www.techforgood.global/jobs/ A data scientist would be expected to understand how databases work. They want the applicant to respond back and say why that response doesn't make sense so they can weed out the 99% of people who apply to jobs on Indeed that are unqualified. It's also a good barometer of the applicants temperament. 300 IQ move. The alternative explanation, that they're unable to hire people with the name 'Jeffrey' (and know exactly what the problem is but don't fix it), is just too absurd to actually be true. If one of their systems actually had this limitation they would have started naming people Jeffrey1, etc, by now.
  - reitzensteinm 7y ago
    Perhaps they're low on disk space and were hoping for a Bob.
watwut 7y ago
The most logical explanation is that someone came to work drunk after night long party and produced that mail barely seeing what he/she is writing. Auto correct might have contributed.
- zelon88 7y ago
  Angry disgruntled HR person trying to get the company sued?
noisy_boy 7y ago
I'm picturing it more like this: Clueless intern: "So what about this guy Jeffrey"? Mean/Pissed/Annoyed/thinks-he-has-a-sense-of-humor boss: "Tell him that we don't hire anyone with that name"
hathym 7y ago
Seems like they have another jeffery. then their database raised an exception: cannot create unique index, duplicate keys found. it's easier to discard the applicant than fixing their db schema.
- netsharc 7y ago
  But then they'd say "We can't have multiple people with the same first name", here they claim they can't have anyone named Jeffrey. Maybe they created a tool called Jeffrey, and it's too integrated with the DB...
  - andruc 7y ago
    I think you're overestimating people and their ability to be precise.
- dusted 7y ago
  That'd be especially hilarious if they were looking to fill a position as database administrator :D
tareqak 7y ago
I wonder if this behavior can be considered to be discriminatory?
- floatingatoll 7y ago
  Yes.
- downerending 7y ago
  My friend Jeffrey thinks so.
Mountain_Skies 7y ago
Companies can only get away with this type of behavior in a labor market flooded with candidates. Of course they will claim they can't find anyone and need to government to search the four corners of the Earth to find someone for them. No company that rejects candidates for a reason like this should ever be allowed access to candidates beyond the local labor market until they stop this type of behavior.
aaron695 7y ago
Reddit says the company is run by 4 high school students. Which I'll just take as true since the fact that they are actually more polite than most companies in replying to job applicants just adds to the humour.
ugh123 7y ago
fake. I also love this tweet from him >Jesus shit, you guys love my failure. follow me to see more of my unfortunate life and ily all
lmilcin 7y ago
"What does it even mean?" It means the company has just saved you time. You are free to pursue another company that is competent enough to store a name in a database record. Please, leave them a thank you note on your way out, maybe link to one of reoccurring articles here on HN: https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-...

45 points by searchableguy 7y ago

I am just curious for what reasons can above happen. The most obvious one seems that someone decided to make first name the primary key and now they are stuck with the problem but still that doesn't feel right to me.

a3n 7y ago
The other obvious one is that what the company rep said is not the actual problem. Because what the company rep said is ludicrous.
- ashtonkem 7y ago
  Maybe, but why offer an explanation at all. Most companies that rejected me gave me a bland “we’ve decided to pursue other candidates”.
  - dlivingston 7y ago
    Option 3 is that this is a shitpost and isn’t a real exchange at all.
burfog 7y ago
That is how the real world works. If you are told to deliver your TPS reports to Jeffery, it would be bad to have more than one Jeffery. You couldn't reliably deliver your TPS reports. Therefore, only one Jeffery can be hired.

def8cefe 7y ago

The company name according to one of his screenshots is 'Tech for Good.' On their careers page the only opening is a Data Scientist... if it's real this is a hilarious way of weeding out unqualified applicants.

def8cefe 7y ago
Tweet with company name: https://twitter.com/yephph/status/1249265056275021830/photo/1 https://twitter.com/yephph/status/1249265056275021830/photo/... Tech for Good careers page: http://www.techforgood.global/jobs/ http://www.techforgood.global/jobs/ A data scientist would be expected to understand how databases work. They want the applicant to respond back and say why that response doesn't make sense so they can weed out the 99% of people who apply to jobs on Indeed that are unqualified. It's also a good barometer of the applicants temperament. 300 IQ move. The alternative explanation, that they're unable to hire people with the name 'Jeffrey' (and know exactly what the problem is but don't fix it), is just too absurd to actually be true. If one of their systems actually had this limitation they would have started naming people Jeffrey1, etc, by now.
- reitzensteinm 7y ago
  Perhaps they're low on disk space and were hoping for a Bob.

watwut 7y ago

The most logical explanation is that someone came to work drunk after night long party and produced that mail barely seeing what he/she is writing. Auto correct might have contributed.

zelon88 7y ago
Angry disgruntled HR person trying to get the company sued?

noisy_boy 7y ago

I'm picturing it more like this: Clueless intern: "So what about this guy Jeffrey"? Mean/Pissed/Annoyed/thinks-he-has-a-sense-of-humor boss: "Tell him that we don't hire anyone with that name"

hathym 7y ago

Seems like they have another jeffery. then their database raised an exception: cannot create unique index, duplicate keys found. it's easier to discard the applicant than fixing their db schema.

netsharc 7y ago
But then they'd say "We can't have multiple people with the same first name", here they claim they can't have anyone named Jeffrey. Maybe they created a tool called Jeffrey, and it's too integrated with the DB...
- andruc 7y ago
  I think you're overestimating people and their ability to be precise.
dusted 7y ago
That'd be especially hilarious if they were looking to fill a position as database administrator :D

tareqak 7y ago

I wonder if this behavior can be considered to be discriminatory?

floatingatoll 7y ago
Yes.
downerending 7y ago
My friend Jeffrey thinks so.

Mountain_Skies 7y ago

Companies can only get away with this type of behavior in a labor market flooded with candidates. Of course they will claim they can't find anyone and need to government to search the four corners of the Earth to find someone for them. No company that rejects candidates for a reason like this should ever be allowed access to candidates beyond the local labor market until they stop this type of behavior.

aaron695 7y ago

Reddit says the company is run by 4 high school students. Which I'll just take as true since the fact that they are actually more polite than most companies in replying to job applicants just adds to the humour.

ugh123 7y ago

fake. I also love this tweet from him >Jesus shit, you guys love my failure. follow me to see more of my unfortunate life and ily all

lmilcin 7y ago

"What does it even mean?" It means the company has just saved you time. You are free to pursue another company that is competent enough to store a name in a database record. Please, leave them a thank you note on your way out, maybe link to one of reoccurring articles here on HN: https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-...