Company that rejected candidate last year emails him asking for his expertise for free: ‘So strange' | Trending News

Company that rejected candidate last year emails him asking for his expertise for free: ‘So strange'

Published on: Nov 06, 2025 10:38 PM IST

A Redditor rejected by a company last year was later asked for an opinion and to share some professional contacts.

Job hunting can be full of surprises, and a recent Reddit post has shown just how unexpected things can get. A Redditor shared an experience that left many online readers amused and stunned.

The Redditor received an unexpected email from the person who got the job.(Unsplash/Representational Image)
The Redditor received an unexpected email from the person who got the job.(Unsplash/Representational Image)

In his post, the user shared that he found a position that seemed perfect and went through six weeks of interviews, with several rounds of discussions. However, despite all his efforts, the company chose someone else, but what followed next was completely unexpected.

"The company that rejected me last year just sent me an email asking for my expertise," the OP wrote in the caption of the post.

Also Read: HR calls employee ‘selfish and ungrateful’ for quitting toxic job: ‘You’ll regret this’

Redditor stunned after company asks for advice:

He shared that he recently received an unexpected email from the person who got the job.

The email asked for an opinion on a new company initiative and also requested professional contacts.

“It’s so strange for them to reject you and then ask for free work,” the Redditor wrote.

Unsure how to respond, the Redditor sent a consulting invoice instead, stating that if the company was interested, he would be available for hire at a specific hourly rate.

"I sent him an email that included the consulting invoice...I sent the email and am awaiting his response, although I believe I won't receive any reply in any case."

Also Read: Laid-off techie takes up bartending job after six months of rejections: ‘This market is brutal'

Check out the post here:

Screengrab of the Reddit post.(Reddit)
Screengrab of the Reddit post.(Reddit)

Social media reactions

Reddit users found the incident hilarious, with many joking about the audacity of a company asking for free advice after rejecting a candidate.

One of the users commented, "Different, but similar. Worked for a horrible company. The best thing they did was lay me off. Several weeks later, they wanted to meet and pick my brain."

A second user commented, "That’s INSANE. Your only response should be in the form of a question, asking if they’re interested in hiring you as a contractor and to negotiate payment for your knowledge."

"I once applied for a PM job at a company, but did not get hired. Called 3 months later to see if I could give a workshop on best practices to their PMO," another user commented.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)

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