When applying for a job, it’s probably best to not simply take the hiring manager’s word for it, and make sure to sign the contract before starting to work or making certain big changes and adjustments to one’s life.

Camryn Spina warned others by sharing her experience of relocating and working for a job without being hired. Luckily, the woman eventually got compensated for her work and moving expenses. 

More info: TikTok

A woman was excited about her new role as she relocated to another state and worked for a week until checking with HR

Image credits: Camryn Spina

HR department informed the woman that there was no hire and she wouldn’t be hired

Image credits: Camryn Spina

“Get ready with me while I explain how I relocated from Florida to Virginia for a job that I never actually got hired for”

“There was a job online that I saw for a job I really wanted that I applied to. I sent in my resume and my cover letter and all the things you do when you apply for a job. I got an email from the person who would be my direct boss, asking to interview me over Microsoft team.”

“So a virtual interview. So I feel as if this interview was amazing and I get an email from the guy who would be my boss. And he’s like, hey, I would really love to bring you to our location, so we could have a second interview in person.”

“So I get there within a week of the last interview. They rented me a car and I got there. The interview lasted for five hours on location. Same thing as the first interview, we just couldn’t shut up, we really enjoyed talking about the job. It was really exciting.”

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

“And the kicker to this whole thing is at the end of the in-person interview, he looks at me after five hours I’d been there. And he goes, ‘So I think there’s no question that I would really like to hire you for this role.'”

“Now, mind you, this role would be for like, something I’d have to relocate for. So I immediately was like, ‘Thank you for the offer, but if you wouldn’t mind, I would really love if you could just give me a little bit of time to think about it.’ Because there’s a lot of logistics that go into relocating from one whole state to another. So I told him, like, give me some time to think about it. He’s like, okay, great.”

Image credits: Camryn Spina

“So finally, I email him back, I accept the job. I’m essentially like, I’m super excited and can’t wait to start, I would love this opportunity”

“And he’s like, amazing, great. The next step is getting your information to HR. So that way you can start to get on boarded. I sent in all my information to HR that they would need. And then we started talking on teams every week to plan for what my start date would be, which would be August 1. So this is like the whole month of July. We’re meeting on teams twice a week to do all the planning for this job.”

“So come the end of July, mind you. I have purchased my moving truck, I’ve purchased my storage unit to keep all my stuff then the boss has paid for a hotel for me for a week until I can find an apartment in Virginia while I start. He emails me all these things about planning the start date being August 1 pay date being August 11, all this stuff. So I’m like, of course, it’s my job, I’m ready to go. My boyfriend helps me move, he drives the moving truck.”

Image credits: Camryn Spina

“The next day rolls around, and I am fully immersed into this job, I am working, I am in charge of stuff”

“It’s August 1, I start working every single day, long days to get acclimated and whatnot, it’s intense. So a few days into the job my boss is like, ‘Hey, have you heard from HR about your email and getting on boarded and making sure that you’re a part of everything?’ So I reached out to HR. And this is where everything just went down the hill.”

“I get an email back from HR and they’re like, ‘Hey, we got your application. You wouldn’t be onboarding anything yet because we are still going through the applications.’ And here I am like ‘you’ve got it all wrong, I already got hired.’ I know that maybe this is an automated message or something, but, I’m already hired. And I thought that was the end of that.”

“So fast forward to the next day. And my boss pulls me into his office and he’s like, ‘hey, something was wrong with your background check?’ And now if you know me, there’s nothing wrong with my background check. So I’m like, ‘no, it must be a clerical error. There should be nothing wrong with my background check.’ And he’s like, ‘Okay, why don’t you give them a call? So that way, you can get it all straightened out.’ I’m like, ‘okay, great.’ I give them a call.”

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

“HR basically says to me that, ‘I don’t know why he said that, because your application is not even at a point where we would run a background check'”

“Like, there’s been no hire. And I’m like, ‘again, you’ve got it wrong. I’ve been working for seven days now. Like, I am hired.’ And they’re like, ‘let’s get back to you on that.’ So fast forward to the next day, I get a call from HR. And this lady, a very nice lady, calls me and she says, ‘Hey, I just wanted to let you know that we appreciate your interest in the position, but we have decided to move forward with other applicants for this job.'”

“And I was like, ‘shall I call my boss right away?’ So, my boss, he’s like, ‘let me see if I can figure this out. Like, this is the way I’ve always hired people. I’ve done this exact same process over and over and over again. But until then, like, just don’t come to work. Because I don’t want anything to happen.'”

“They call me, they’re like, ‘no, this is not a misunderstanding that needs to be figured out. We are not choosing you as a candidate for this job posting. This is not it.’ And here I am sobbing on the phone. I just relocated my whole life. Thousands of miles. All my stuff is in a storage unit. Then, guess who stops getting contacted by their boss. So I’m like, this is it, like, I’m not working for this place. I just spent so much money relocating, on the moving truck, the storage unit, the gas, all this stuff. So I write this long email to HR.”

Image credits: Camryn Spina

“I understand that something happened where this book did not go about the right way. And I’m not hired, and that’s whatever, but I need to be reimbursed”

“You guys owe me a lot of money. Because not only did I spend all this money to get there to relocate, but also, I worked for a week, I worked for seven days for you. Like, there’s labor that needs to be compensated for. So there was so much I needed to be compensated for, I wrote it all out in this email. And essentially, I said, If I don’t get compensated and reimbursed for all of this money I spent and the seven days that I worked, I will be pursuing further legal action because with all of the correspondence I had with my boss, so far, like there was 100% an offer, and intent to work, and intent to hire, all this stuff.”

“And immediately they were like, you know what, you’re right. And what do you know, I got a check in the mail for a lot of money to compensate for all of this going on, because they 100% know that I could have taken it a lot further. But now I’m homeless  (I’m living with my parents), jobless (I still have my other job). And that is the story of how I relocated from one state to another for a job that I never actually got hired for.”

You can watch the original video here

@camrynspina #GRWM while I explain how moved 1,000 miles for a job that wasnt ever mine!!!!!!!!!!! This ones a long one so bare with me #relocate #job #trending #jobless ♬ original sound – Camryn Spina

The company immediately agreed to the woman’s request for compensation and sent her a check

Image credits: Cytonn Photography (not the actual photo)

24-year-old Camryn Spina shared her story of doing the job without being hired and gathered 96.3k views on TikTok. In her video, the woman explained that it all started normally, with her submitting an application, and after her second on-site interview, being told by her hiring manager and future boss he would love to hire her.

Yet the situation was out of the ordinary, as after many on-boarding meetings,  relocation to another state, and working in a new position for a week, the woman was told by the HR department they were still going through applications.

Even at that point, the woman’s new boss wasn’t direct about the situation, claiming it might have been a problem with her background check. Contrary to this, the HR department explained that her application wasn’t even at the point where they would run a background check, for the simple reason that there had been no hire.

The woman accepted the situation, yet she wrote an email listing all the things she needed to be compensated for since she had not only spent a lot on relocating but also worked there for a week. She also added that she would be pursuing further legal action otherwise.

The company immediately agreed and sent a check as per the woman’s request.

Curiously enough, while Americans are still switching their jobs in high numbers, relocation for new jobs in the first quarter of 2023 fell to the lowest level in decades, based on the survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

They noted that back in the 1980s and ’90s, nearly a third of job seekers would move for new positions. Yet due to increased housing costs, the process was reversed and companies themselves moved to where talent pools were located. This meant that the percentage of people who moved for a job has steadily fallen since.

Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)

Additionally, according to the researchers, during recent years, the important factor that kept relocating for a job at an all-time low was remote and hybrid job options. They explained that based on a survey of 170 companies nationwide, fully remote work peaked in fall 2022 with 73% of companies offering it, and dropped to 39% in spring 2023 with the hybrid job option becoming much more common.

Yet the relocation cost including housing price still remained among the major factors of job seekers rarely relocating for work.

Naturally, though, depending on each individual case, relocating for a new gig might be worth it and Jacquelyn for Forbes listed some key aspects to consider for a successful relocation. These included taking time to know what’s available to you and using it, as many companies offer a variety of relocation services and most are flexible in what they provide. These might include compensations for moving costs, or even helping one’s spouse with employment leads in a new state or city.

Forbes also advised to refrain from making any long-term commitments, such as committing to a long-term lease immediately, and choosing a temporary option instead.

Finally, they emphasized that building a social network would contribute to feeling more grounded and happy in a new place.

Commenters shared their takes on the situation

Image credits: Polina Zimmerman (not the actual photo)

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