When you have a job interview, it's important to be prepared. Plan your outfit the night before (and don't choose a miniskirt and seven-inch heels.) Research the company in advance (and not on your phone while you drive to the office building). And most importantly, make sure you're on time. Unless you have one of those Harry Potter Time Turners, you only have one shot at proving they can depend on you.
However, 21-year-old Scottish student Laura MacLean was a little bit too enthusiastic about her job interview. She scheduled a Skype call with Microsoft's University Recruitment team, which offers students a chance to work for a full year with the company. That's an incredible opportunity for MacLean, who's studying management and marketing at Robert Gordon University in the UK.
On the day of the interview, she woke up early, ate a full breakfast, put on her nicest clothes, had her hair and makeup did, and waited anxiously in front of her computer. However, there was no Skype call at 11am. After ten minutes passed, MacLean began to panic, wondering if there was a problem with her internet connection or if the company had just forgotten about her. So, she emailed the recruiting team, wondering why she didn't receive a call.
The company wrote back that her interview was scheduled for February 18th, and they look forward to speaking with her then.
Confused, MacLean replied that it is February 18th, and she should have received a call.
The company wrote back that today is actually January 18th, making MacLean one month early for her job interview.
On Twitter, MacLean shared photos of the hilarious email exchange. "all dressed up ready n freaking out for my big skype interview with Microsoft and this happens," she wrote. "possibly the biggest noob on this planet hahahahaha if you don’t laugh you’ll cry."
The tweet went viral, getting over 186,000 likes. In the replies, one person observed that MacLean "showed some intense dedication to punctuality." while another recommended she say that her greatest weakness is "I really hate being late for things." A third joked that she should blame the error on Microsoft's competitor, Apple: "Just reply thatl teach me for trusting a bloody macbook." And one person claimed that he once flew to another city for a job interview on the wrong date.
Afterward, MacLean owned up to her mistake. She told the recruitment team she thought that it was February, not January, and was "beyond embarrassed."
The company wrote back assuring MacLean that there's no problem: "Don't worry some mistakes just happen :)"
Although this incident was embarrassing, maybe it will help Laura MacLean. She demonstrated that she's passionate about the position, will ask questions when she's confused and is willing to admit when she makes a mistake. Also, since her story went viral, a lot of people learned about Microsoft's Student Recruitment program. That's free marketing! Give her the job, Bill Gates!
