SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

Got Fired before I got Hired 🙈💩

I am a student at Christ University (ex Welham School, where I was the topper😏).

Here is my story :

22nd of April, and two things happened:

  1. I got an offer from Grapevine🤩 (yes, the same cool startup where you are reading this message) My learnings would have been immense, and I was genuinely very excited to be at the WeWork office with them.

  2. Out of 800 applicants, I make it to the top 8 shortlisted candidates for Zomato (after multiple rounds)💪 I desperately wanted to see the results of Zomato before I decided where to take up the internship offer. But Zomato delayed the results for 3 days, a day at a time.

24th of April I get a call from Grapevine asking me to confirm the offer. I told them my predicament, and that I am expecting results from Zomato, so please give me 1 more day (end of Thursday).🥺

25th of April, 4 PM😌: I had made up my mind to accept the grapevine offer despite Zomato's results. I even sorted the technicalities out with my placement coordinator. 6 PM😰: Unfortunately, I got a message from Grapevine that my offer had been revoked. I requested that I am willing to join them. But they informed me that they had given the offer to someone else in the morning. 7 PM😭: Zomato published its results, and I was not selected.

Now I am left with no internship option. I realise that I should not have waited for Zomato results and accepted the offer in hand, which would have been a great learning experience.

Neither of the companies is to be blamed but, was I at so much at fault to be penalised so severely? What would you have done if you were in my position?

And I have just 1 week to find a new internship in the middle of my final exams. Please suggest what should I do? If you can help, please help.🥹🤞

11mo ago
Talking product sense with Ridhi
9 min AI interview5 questions
Round 1 by Grapevine
CosmicDumpling
CosmicDumpling

What was the point posting this here? Were you expecting sympathy for your own terrible choices?

FuzzyMarshmallow
FuzzyMarshmallow

Is there any harm is showing sympathy? But she clearly mentioned why she has posted. She is asking for help. Also advise and your perspective on what she should have done? Objective of such forums is to support each other especially in difficult times. Not to make them feel worse.

CosmicDumpling
CosmicDumpling

The problem of being nice is giving a false illusion that they were not at fault. Its okay to feel worse. It would only push someone motivated enough to make the right moves and to never repeat the same mistake again. The corporate world is not a nice place.

ZoomyNoodle
ZoomyNoodle

An example where "Honesty is not the best policy".
As you said, you can't blame GV because they must have candidates lined up willing to join them while they were an option to you (they believed you wouldn't join them if you get zomato offer, because you said you are waiting for it).
Just learn from this - it's your first corporate lesson. You seem like someone who will do a great job wherever you will be. Just put out your skills, roles/companies you are interested in here and people can help with referrals.

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

Yes, I learned that now the hard way. Thank you for putting it this way. I was looking out for roles in the product domain. My skills include design and marketing.

QuirkyTaco
QuirkyTaco
TCS11mo

Maintain the connection you made. Sometimes one can get a second shot at a later point purely because they stayed in touch.

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

Yes totally, it was a nice conversation I had with them.

GoofyHamster
GoofyHamster
Swiggy11mo

Tough to expect a company to wait while you can evaluate your options. If they had other options, it makes sense that they would go ahead with another candidate

You took a risk to wait for an offer you wanted more but it didn't pay off. Happens to the best of us, that's how one learns in the corporate world :)

GoofyHamster
GoofyHamster
Swiggy11mo

Since you're based out of bangalore - reach out to other startup founders over linkedin, I'm sure there would be multiple who would be looking to have someone help the team

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

yes, that's the plan. thank you

ZoomyNugget
ZoomyNugget

None of the grapevine employees have commented on this post. All afraid of hr😉?

FuzzyMarshmallow
FuzzyMarshmallow

Will Grapevine contribute to this grapevine? It would be a true success of their platform, if they actually give back the offer. Otherwise, a student and everybody learns the wrong lesson "honesty is not the best policy." Come on Grapevine. Small decision for you. But a big message to the community. @grapevine @Grapevineunofficial @grapevine_admin

ZoomyNugget
ZoomyNugget

Great! You have worded that perfectly @WhichSir8

SnoozyNugget
SnoozyNugget
Meesho11mo

You should have accepted the first offer and then waited for the second offer. A similar thing happened to me. Got an offer as a pm intern in a series c startup. Although wfh, the pay was a little low. Simultaneously, i was interviewing for another startup as well for the same role(again, wfh). But the day my second offer was gonna release was the same day i had to join the first one. I joined that first offer and waited till evening for the second one. Got through the second one as well. I called the hr of the first company and said i have a better offer, so i would not join you. Guess what? The first company just few hrs i said i resigned, they doubled the stipened and matched the stipened that was given by the second startup. Conclusion:Accept whatever comes in your hand and then decide.

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

Both came through college actually. Denying the initial one would have blacklisted me from further placements.

WobblyKoala
WobblyKoala

One suggestion, never take decisions based on hope, take decisions based on facts.

In your case the grapevine was a fact. Zomato was hope, and if Zomato turned up, you can decline grapevine later on, and have honest conversation with grapevine HR, most of the people understand it.

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

Didn't have this choice as college would have blacklisted me. And yes I shouldn't have kept hopes up for Zomato wen I liked the offer at grapevine too.

WobblyPancake
WobblyPancake
Meta11mo

You should have accepted grapevine offer and then backed out once you got the offer from Zomato. Always accept offers, interview requests and what not. You can reject the later but wont be able to accept them in retrospect.

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

College would have blacklisted me since both came through them.

FuzzyCupcake
FuzzyCupcake

Grow some balls to fight with clg you have one life

WobblyBurrito
WobblyBurrito

If you had got Zomato offer, you would have withdrawn your application from Grapevine. For either parties, this was bound to happen.

What role were you interning for? Maybe someone can help you get one, but promise you won't leave them hanging

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

Growth intern here. would never repeat the same mistake

GoofyWalrus
GoofyWalrus
Jio11mo

That's life....life is not rainbows and sunshines dear, Best wishes for your life ahead

SquishyKoala
SquishyKoala

thank you

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