Job seeker sends hilariously passive-aggressive reply to employer expecting too much for too little

The modern job application process reduces many of us to mere application numbers. You might apply for 500 jobs with customized cover letters but hear back from 10 of them if you are lucky. Out of those 10, maybe one or two might offer reasonable pay. Meanwhile, our previous generations tell us tales about having worked in the same company for years until retirement while supporting a family of four or five, or even six. The current job application process is competitive and one needs to be thick-skinned enough to handle constant rejection. Besides that, most companies that advertise their hiring either keep crucial details ambiguous or present some unreasonable ones.

This is where job seeker u/rainingmafackas felt the need to speak up. They took to the r/antiwork subreddit to share how they send "very passive-aggressive cover letters for ridiculous job descriptions," as a way of giving employers brutally honest feedback and expressing their disappointment and frustration. They added in their post, "No benefits, $14 an hour to start requires 5 years of experience. I'm honestly sick of employers." The post received over 30k upvotes.

The job description they shared demanded a minimum of five years of experience with SEO, in-depth knowledge of on-page SEO best practices, "excellent" communication, networking, analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to work independently and with a team, proficiency in the use of Google Analytics, Google Search Console and SEO AI tools. The company requires someone "highly motivated and experienced" although they can only offer between $30,000 and $45000 in pay. Although they've at least mentioned the pay—and don't waste the time of candidates who expect a fair salary—it doesn't excuse the fact that they expected far too much from prospective employees in return for very little. Unsurprisingly, this job description didn't sit right with u/rainingmafackas.

Their passive-aggressive cover letter to the employer reads: "So you're telling me you only want to pay 30,000 for 5 years of experience? You have to be out of your ever-loving mind. This is exactly why companies say, 'No one wants to work.' That's less than the minimum wage in some states. Imagine getting a college degree and being in a mass amount of debt to make THIRTY THOUSAND after already working for 5 years. I'm gagging honestly. Just wanted to let you know that. Go outside and touch some grass, please. Coldest regards." We do not think there could be a more realistic response than this one.

They added, "I wish I could post all my other ones without being spammy. Coldest regards and disrespectfully are my favorite sign-offs for out-of-touch employers like this one." They added in a comment: "I had a recruiter contact me for a sales role and I told him I'd rather set myself on fire than work in sales. Maybe I'll post that one next!" When asked if they really submitted it, they replied, "Absolutely! One of my favorite past times is doing this. I'm waiting to get permabanned off indeed."

People in the comments were a fan of these replies and expressed their frustration too. "The longer I live and work in this backward society, the more I realize that companies would find a way to make you pay them to work for them if they could get away with it, and the fact everyone starts at barely above minimum wage (which is proven to not be a livable wage) just makes it worse," commented u/mbabker. "That isn't passive-aggressive. That is aggressive. Aggressively awesome! I wish I had the moxie to write that. You are a hero. They all need to hear this," praised u/Mercury5979.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 12, 2023. It has since been updated.