After reaching out to me insistently on LinkedIn, I agreed to a quick chat with Jen. I work…read moreregularly with both local and world-class recruiters, but this "meeting" was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. No introduction, a lengthy set of rapid-fire, shallowly-formed questions and a laborious, EXHAUSTING process of educating her about both the minutiae of being a C-level assistant across different industries in LA and the very well-documented current entertainment industry dumpster fire (completely accessible to anyone who occasionally checks the news). Er, hello to you too?
The more information I provided, the more hostile she became. Despite providing no context for her call, she was incredibly offended when I asked to know more about her company (which virtually has no online presence, is located in SF and has no relevance to me otherwise). I tried to defuse and explain that her messages were pretty vague, that I of course wanted to learn more, but she claimed she was intentionally being vague. Uh, so why would I want to talk to YOU? She had reached out saying she wanted "to discuss the details of this exciting opportunity!" So you're a stranger on the internet, with no credibility, presenting yourself on lies? Yet I'm kindly giving you my slammed time, which is why I didn't even see all your e-mails. Rude.
She never did discuss any "details."
I was astounded that she seemed to absorb nothing despite a lengthy, detailed and organic dissertation that clearly fit the role even before I found out what it was. Despite admitting she didn't have any exposure to this industry, she then claimed that I wasn't qualified for this fishy "multi-media platform" that "was just getting started" in LA and the reason her "friend" who "owned the company" was panicking asking for her help. I WONDER WHY. Drained AF, I reiterated my points and tried to wrap the call. She then seemed to hesitate at her hasty (highly confused) assumptions and asked me for my resume. Severely dismayed at this point, a surprised laugh escaped my mouth.
What baffles me is
1) HER own admission of HER utter lack of grasp of the entertainment industry 2) the gall to tell an actual relevant professional her (self-confessed, unqualified) opinion
3) the fact that SHE reached out to ME because of MY experience
4) DIDN'T READ MY LINKEDIN despite contacting ME. ON LINKEDIN. NOR ONCE THINK TO REQUEST MY RESUME (are you sure you're a recruiter?!), but was angry that I didn't know who the hell SHE was?! (LOL)
5) never explained nor seemed to know the point of her own call herself, and
6) after crystal-clear, thoughtfully detailed answers (where she continuously cut me off before I could finish, really), then deciding, with her limited toxic 1990s operation and understanding, that whatever compelled her to message me repetitively was also magically defunct. Do you even know what a reference is?
If your friend knows no one in LA and they're supposedly such accomplished C-level execs, are they so helpless and ignorant that they do not know to connect to relevant and QUALIFIED executives and agencies, HERE? Don't YOU? So.. not just one, but two unqualified individuals who are not only lost in the weeds, but completely resistant to locating the most common-sense answers sitting right in your hands.. deciding who is qualified. Uh, okay.
The network of C-level assistants here is tight, and we and our bosses talk, you know. If your company is a start-up that's new to the LA+entertainment bubble, most competent assistants will not want to work for toxic AND incompetent people, ma'am. The big names might be abusive, but at LEAST there are solid connections and advancements to suffer for. You need us more than we need you - enjoy the oncoming years of high turnover, lmao.
This 17-minute ordeal was ill-organized, unprofessional, unnecessarily aggressive, dehumanizing, toxic and overall, archaic as shit. Even the most reclusive person (me) living under a rock under a pond is inevitably exposed to and can easily understand the gist of basic current events. The bare minimum of professionalism requires knowing why they're calling, being civilized, respecting peoples' time, LISTENING and not openly projecting such personal flaws. Before stumbling on all these questionable 5-star reviews, I fully thought this was a scam.
After hopping onto the rest of my meetings for the day, I couldn't help but marvel at how much.. a wild blip in the Twilight Zone, this whole encounter was, in such stark contrast. Granted, Hollywood is brimming with crazies at every level, but this was still so horrifying to me. I am amazed that professionals so out of touch and so lacking in self-awareness are allowed to exist - the exact opposite of the reviews written about her own employees on here. Note no distinctly good mentions of Jen and consistent patterns in the hidden(!) scathing reviews.
Whatever world operates in such defeatist fashion, you deserve better. Save yourself.