Happy Labour Day, everyone. This is a good opportunity to talk about the worst job interview experience I’ve had so far. It happened last month, so it’s still fresh in my mind. For context, I’ve recently finished college and I had no luck finding a job in my field. I started an accounting course to make me more employable, but I still have plenty of time on my hands. I applied for a part time job at a convenience store. It’s not something you’d expect a college graduate to do, but I wanted to do something until I finish the accounting course. They gave me the time and the location. I read some information about their company and I was ready to go. Or so I thought.

In the morning, I arrived at the destination I remembered. I couldn’t open my Messenger, so I was relying on my memory. I arrived at the spot that Google Maps told me to, but I couldn’t find the address. I asked several people where it was, but none of them could help me. I’d be angry at them, but to be honest, I’d be just as useless if someone asked me a similar question. Perhaps software like GPS and Google Maps are making us dumber. Or perhaps I’m being a boomer again.

After half an hour of searching, I called the company and asked them where they were. It turned out I remembered it wrong and I wasn’t even close to the place I was supposed to be. I typed the new address in Google Maps and I was horrified. If I took the bus, I would’ve taken me almost two hours to get to the destination. The company has stores in Zagreb and two of them are within walking distance. Why do I have to go to the middle of nowhere for the interview? The last time I worked for a convenience store, I could just go to one of the stores for the interview. This is why other chains are beating you in the free market.

I didn’t want to be even more late then I already was, so I used the Bolt app (it’s basically the same as Uber). Even with a stranger’s car, it took me half an hour to get to the headquarters. Fortunately, no one was angry at me for being over an hour late. The interview itself was pretty standard. I filled out a short form, listened to a brief description of my potential job and answered a few questions. They told me I would find out whether I got the job in a few days. I didn’t want to spend almost two hours going back home, so I tried to call a Bolt again, but there were no available people. I decided I would walk in the direction of my home for a while and then try Bolt again.

For a part of my trip, I walked on a dirt road between a few fields. Like I said before, I was in the middle of nowhere. On that road, there was an old man with a tractor. He asked me what the time was and I answered. I thought, “This old man was really lucky that a random guy just happened to walk by while he was working on the field.” Did some higher power set this all up, just so I could be there to help him? Probably not, but it’s a funny idea.

I kept going forward. There were no houses around, so I couldn’t tell a potential Bolt driver where to pick me up. I had to keep going. The weather was sunny and it was a bit warm, so I got nervous. A few years ago, I passed out from the heat while I was waiting for the bus. I was in my mid-twenties; I guess you’re never too old to get hurt by your own stupidity. I kept telling myself, “It’s not that hot and you have water with you, you’ll be fine.” After half an hour, I made it to an Ikea store.

That morning, if you told me that I would end up at an Ikea store, I would’ve called you crazy. I got inside the store to go to the bathroom and refill my water bottle. Despite the opportunity, I was in no mood to buy furniture. I went outside, sat on a bench and tried getting a Bolt driver again. It didn’t work, so I downloaded Uber. There were available drivers there. I called a driver and it took a while for him to arrive. I don’t blame him, the Ikea store is still relatively far away from Zagreb. I got in his car and after half an hour, I was back home. The nightmare was finally over.

To this day, the company hasn’t contacted me, so it’s safe to assume I didn’t get the job. Maybe they wanted someone with more experience, maybe they wanted someone that has no other obligations or maybe they’re not happy that I was late. Either way, it just adds insult to injury. In the end, all I can say is, “Shit happens.” I hope you got a few laughs out of this.