When you’re a fresher or in your last year of college, placements are all that consume your mind. That’s when job opportunities and interviews with ‘MNC’s are the holy grail or so they say! Laura MacLean is just one such a bright-eyed 21-year-old Scottish student who was ever so excited to learn that she had landed an interview with tech-giant Microsoft’s University Recruitment team.
Laura is pursuing management and marketing at Robert Gordon University in the UK. She joyfully gleaned that the company offers students a chance to work for a full year with them. The interview was scheduled for Feb. 18, 2019 and MacLean eagerly awaited the date. But wait till you hear what happened next!
“I pride myself in being very prepared and an organized person,” said Laura.
On the day of the scheduled Skype interview (or at least it was that day in her mind) she was more than prepped. She’d been “studying everything [she] could about” the company, and had even asked her parents, siblings, and friends to hold mock interviews with her days leading up to the anticipated interview.
“I didn’t want to mess up my one chance … and these types of chances don’t come around often with big tech companies like Microsoft,” MacLean added.
So she woke up extra early and was ready to take this scheduled interview on. She had a full breakfast, “changed into [her] smart clothes,” had her hair and makeup done, and squeezed in “extra prep and research for the interview.” When 11 a.m. came around, she anxiously waited in front of her laptop, ready for the interview of her lifetime, reports Buzzfeed News.
Yet, 11 a.m. came and went. When it was 11:15, “panic set in,” she said. She worried her internet connection might have been faulty, so she decided to email the recruitment team to make sure everything was in working order.
Take a look at her email-
She received a prompt response from a representative on the Microsoft University Recruitment team. They said her interview was set for Feb. 18!
Laura then responded by mailing back that it was indeed Feb 18.
Then came the ‘aw shucks’ moment when the recruiter politely told her no…it was not Feb. 18. It was Jan. 18!
“When the team emailed back reminding me it was, in fact, January and February was the next month, I quite frankly wanted to disappear into thin air. I thought Microsoft would think I am an idiot,” she said.
“What made it all worse was that my birthday is the 14th of February, so somehow I had managed to skip turning 22,” MacLean joked.
She took to social media sharing the email exchanges with Microsoft in a tweet. The post then went viral!
all dressed up ready n freaking out for my big skype interview with Microsoft and this happens. possibly the biggest noob on this planet hahahahaha if you don’t laugh you’ll cry pic.twitter.com/OKn2n8i39z
— laura maclean (@lauramacleann) January 18, 2019
First off, John Papa, the speaker, and Microsoft employee responded to her post, as did scientist Alasdair Allan with encouraging words-
That’s awesome! Hey – if you’re that excited about it tell them to kick it into gear now!
Seriously – good luck on your interview.
— John Papa (@John_Papa) January 19, 2019
I once flew from London to New York a month early for a meeting. I only realised when I was resetting the time on my watch as we were on decent into JFK. Trust me. This is not the most embarrassing thing you’ll ever do. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
— Alasdair Allan (@aallan) January 19, 2019
Then there were people who creatively responded with solutions!
"What would you say is your greatest weakness?"
"I really hate being late for things"— Jaymask OC (@mixtwitch) January 19, 2019
Just reply, thatl teach me for trusting a bloody macbook
— Jista loada BS (@BarryBhoy777) January 18, 2019
Some shared hilarious comments on the cringe-worthy moment.
@__ashleighx .. more amused at the fact that her page says her bday is February 😂😂 poor quine didna realise it hidna been her bday yet but remembered about her video call 😂😂😂
— kim💁🏼 (@kimwhytex) January 19, 2019
Laura laughed along!
sadly you are not the only person to notice this, my family wont let me live this down. pic.twitter.com/zsh0Ixl7Hz
— laura maclean (@lauramacleann) January 19, 2019
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one! Here are positive stories of those in similar situations who wrote to Laura.
I SORT OF DID THE SAME THING @ MICROSOFT. I added the wrong Skype address and missed the call! But they were lovely & called me back at a later time unexpectedly – I got the job (so don't worry too much!).
— Maira (@_Maira26) January 19, 2019
I’ve done this! But they ended up creating my dream position for me at this company!! Hoping the same happens for you 😊
— Grace Kathryn 🦋 (@GraceAdams28) January 20, 2019
I've done it. I turned up at an interview a week early. I was actually offered the job the following week lol.
— Frank W (@frawil66) January 19, 2019
Unfortunately, there were those who thought the blunder would cost her the job!
Ifs there’s a competency question on time management I fear for u Laura 😂😂😂
— chris oneill (@ozzieoneill) January 18, 2019
Now they ain’t gonna hire you cause you can’t read..
— a m b e r. (@admireamber) January 19, 2019
Safe to say she’s not getting that job
— Bryan Cabezas (@bryancabezas) January 19, 2019
MacLean later shared, “I’m a little nervous, but at the end of the day, we are all human and I’ve heard from people all over the world who have commented on my tweet that they’ve made this mistake before too, which is a great consolation.”
“Hopefully, Microsoft will see the humorous side to this whole mix-up,” she said.
However, it seems the company has no hard feelings! Chuck Edward, head of Global Talent Acquisition at Microsoft, told BuzzFeed News that Microsoft is “always looking for candidates who have a growth mindset. And that means taking initiative, leaning into uncertainty, looking for solutions and recognizing our own mistakes,” he said.
“We wish Laura the best of luck on her interview on February 18th,” said Edward.
Phew! Good luck Laura and keep us posted!