By | Jaclyn Westlake | www.themuse.com
You’ve accepted a great new position at a fantastic company and can’t wait to get started. But, when you arrive for your first day, you discover that the amazing job you’d interviewed for is nothing like what you’re facing now that you’ve actually been hired. You’ve been catfished.
For anyone who hasn’t watched Nev Schulman’s riveting documentary or subsequent TV spin-off, catfishing refers to the act of purposefully presenting false or misleading information or creating a fake identity to fool another person.
Full disclosure: I was catfished by my first full-time job. Shortly after graduating college, I accepted an admissions counselor position with a private university. I was so excited to find such a great job so shortly after graduating; I couldn’t wait to work with eager students as I guided them through the admissions process. I envisioned myself reassuring nervous parents, decorating my first-ever cubicle, and building lasting relationships with my co-workers. Sure, I was a little idealistic, but this was also what the hiring manager told me I would be doing.
When I arrived for my first day of work, I was led to a storage room and handed a phone, a sales script, and a long list of phone numbers and told to start making calls. I didn’t even have a working computer. Turns out, I had inadvertently accepted a job as a cold caller.
When your new job pulls the old bait-and-switch, it can be frustrating, disheartening, and embarrassing. Navigating this situation can be tricky, so let’s take a look at six things to do when your new job catfishes you—from someone who’s been there.
