A podcast all about job search woes, hiring horror stories, and all things fair and unfair in and around our work lives.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
OK, sometimes we make mistakes and get our facts wrong (or if you're Simon, that's most of the time)
In the last full episode, Simon related a story back to a previous workplace where his boss had demanded that everyone turn their cameras on during an online meeting. Simon spoke about how the United Nations has stated that it is a breach of human rights to ask an employee to turn their camera on during a meeting.
This is not true, and in this short addendum to our previous episode, Simon apologises to our fantastic listeners and owns up to making the mistake of relaying disinformation (making him a misinformant...uh oh)
26 Oct 2026
Unsupervised
Our 19th episode for 2026 sees Simon fly solo and unsupervised in what is a beautifully chaotic rant about two of his pet peeves - meetings that could have been emails, and candidate hoop jumping (Olympic level).
Without Deany holding the leash, Simon gets to wax lyrical the best way he knows how - off the cuff and shooting from the hip.
Will we get sued? Unlikely.
Will we get in trouble? Maybe.
Will we bore you? Absolutely no way!
Simon also has a good rant about corporate conferences and gives you some handy tips on how to avoid vendors on the expo floor while also getting the swag you want!
Got an anonymous confession? Reach out to us via our form here and spill the tea about something from the workplace that you've been dying to get off your chest https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeX7N26yGo6qpRGlSPAQJXsWfdMSFyRMZZJEDSqYvTUdUxz2w/viewform (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeX7N26yGo6qpRGlSPAQJXsWfdMSFyRMZZJEDSqYvTUdUxz2w/viewform)
16 Oct 2026
Anonymous Confessions: HR Bro Mansplains Cyber Security to an Actual Cyber Security Consultant
Rejected or Selected Anonymous Confessions: HR Bro Mansplains Cybersecurity Consulting
This episode features Deany reading an anonymous workplace confession from someone in cybersecurity about a deeply frustrating interview with a recruiter who had no technical background but still lectured them on the basics of cloud migration and cybersecurity. It matters because it highlights how poor interview conduct can signal deeper hiring-culture problems. The lesson for job seekers: when an interview goes badly, it is usually better to move on, save your energy, and give feedback only if it can be done calmly and professionally.
Key topics
In this episode, Deany introduces a listener confession tied to a recent discussion about the good, bad, and ugly of interview experiences.
The confession comes from a cybersecurity professional who applied for a role at a large, well-known IT consultancy.
During a phone screen, the recruiter asked about cloud migration projects, then cut the candidate off and launched into a step-by-step explanation of on-premise versus cloud, migration, cybersecurity, and even what a stakeholder is.
The candidate says this was not an entry-level role, and the explanations were wildly unnecessary for someone already experienced in the field.
The recruiter appeared to be in HR and recruitment only, with no tech background or qualifications, and seemed to be repeating basic information he had heard elsewhere.
The candidate suspects the interaction may have been influenced by gender or age bias, since she was a young woman in tech.
The interview left her with a poor opinion of the company’s hiring process and made her question the internal culture.
Looking back, she says she likely dodged a bullet by not advancing, because the culture may have been just as draining as the interview.
Her advice is to redirect energy toward the next opportunity instead of arguing with the company after a bad interview.
If feedback is given, it should be polite, honest, and phrased so it cannot be dismissed as sour grapes from a rejected candidate.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro to Rejected or Selected Anonymous Confessions
00:29 - Setting up the anonymous interview confession
01:29 - Shoutout to co-host Simon Carabetta
02:27 - Today's confession: cybersecurity interview gone wrong
03:08 - Recruiter asks about cloud migration
03:36 - Candidate gets interrupted and mansplained basics
04:04 - Why the explanation was absurd for the role
04:34 - Stress of needing a job while being talked over
05:02 - Looking up the recruiter and finding no tech background
05:30 - The explanation sounded generic and outdated
06:01 - Why the candidate lost trust in the company
06:41 - Reflection: why the bad interview may have been a blessing
06:58 - Advice: move on and focus on better opportunities
08:02 - How to give feedback without sounding bitter
Share your story: Confess anonymously (https://tinyurl.com/rosanonymous)
Reach and audience
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Contact Rejected Or Selected
Guest appearances
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