A Hire Fire Misfire

Many years ago, I heard through a friend that a new supermarket was opening in the area, and they were hiring people to put the store together and get it ready to open. I was between jobs at the time, and a bit of a cash influx while I searched for something I wanted wouldn’t be a bad thing, so I applied.

And that was it. I didn’t hear back, shrugged, and moved on with my life.

Until three weeks later, when my phone rang.

I didn’t recognize the number, but when I had applications out, I answered every call. It went something like this:

Me: “Hello?”

Manager: “Hello, is this [My Name]?”

Me: “You got him. What can I do for you?”

Manager: “Well, this is [Manager] from [Business], and I’m calling to let you know that, since you no-called, no-showed on the first day, we are letting you go.”

Me: “Well, that’s understandable, but I don’t work for you, sir.”

Manager: “I’m sorry, what?”

Me: “I did send in an application several weeks ago, but this is the first conversation I’m having with anyone from [Business].”

There’s a short pause.

Manager: “…Well, I’m sorry about that. Would you still be interested in the job?”

Me: “I appreciate the interest, sir, but I am going to have to decline.”

It was just goodbyes after that. So, that’s the time I got fired from a place that didn’t hire me.

It might be worth mentioning that this same chain (but a different location) did kind of the opposite to me last year, too. I applied to work there; they interviewed me, offered me the job, and paid for my license to work in the state… Then, that was the last I heard from them.

I got a much better job offer about two weeks after their last contact, though, so I just let it go.