Job applicant accidentally received an email from the CEO about her CV — her bold reply caught her off guard

While receiving accidental emails is not unusual, no one expects them from a CEO. A woman’s inbox had an unexpected message while hunting for a job. She found herself in a peculiar situation, as the piece of communication was not meant for her but was about her. Gen Z applicant Shannon Brooke—who goes by @shanbrooke_ on TikTok—opened up about how she dealt with an awkward online encounter with one of her potential employers. In the video, the current coffee shop worker shared the bizarre incident, which eventually landed her an interview.

It began when the 27-year-old Brooke from Scotland applied for a job a few weeks ago. She was surprised when a strange message weighing on her prospects for the job somehow made it to her inbox. “I need advice,” Brooke asked her viewers, adding that she had been applying for jobs because she needed to. Emphasizing the painstaking process of getting permanent work, she said, “I sent my CV and cover letter to someone who was hiring for a particular role, and a few days later, I got an email from them.”

Brooke revealed that the accidental email had clearly stated that her work experience was “largely assessment-based.” “It's three years ago that she did the Master's, then worked in a coffee shop after. I put her in my maybe pile,” Brooke read from the message sent by the company. Instead of ignoring the email, she thought it was the “perfect opportunity” for her to respond. She wrote in the email, “I replied, ‘I get that, but she's got a history of good rapport building with young people, plus she managed a team and blah, blah. At the end, I put her in my yes pile,’” she explained.

Brooke said that it was her “third draft,” and the first two were “quite rude.” Fortunately for her, she received a response, “Haha, you are now in my very probably pile … email sent in error. I'll get back to you.” Brooke later searched for the person's name on the company's official page, and it turned out she received the email from a CEO. She even stated that she received an interview proposal from the company after the email mishap. Brooke further stated that the CEO’s failure to apologize was “weird” and “red flag” behavior. “I worked in this field before my master's, managed a cafe while traveling, then returned to the industry,” Brooke said, per Newsweek.

“In a way, I'd been given the perfect opportunity to communicate all this, which wouldn't have happened if I hadn't received that email, so I knew I had to reply,” she added. Brooke’s video managed to draw widespread attention on social media, racking up countless reactions. Among them, @annaaa_ppp advised, “Go for the interview. Do it… but be professional and not giggly or funny. Show them you're worth being in that ‘very probably’ pile.” “I have a feeling the CEO enjoyed your approach. Too often, everyone around a CEO is a ‘yes man,’ and you've just shown that you're more than capable of handling your own, as well as being funny with it,” @breskva99 added.

You can follow Shannon Brooke (@shanbrooke_) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.