Had a bad experience. Recruiters aren't professional or have any kind of empathy.
My initial interview was scheduled for Monday, but the recruiter did not call at the planned time. I waited and offered to be available any time that day. He suggested rescheduling to the next day, and I agreed, as I was genuinely excited about the role.
On Tuesday, just an hour before the rescheduled call, I began experiencing severe period pain. I have PCOS and dysmenorrhea, and my symptoms during this time can be physically intense and difficult to manage. I didn’t want to cancel the call last minute, so I informed the recruiter ahead of time that I was unwell and might be a little slower to respond. I also asked whether the conversation would be casual or technical, so I could try my best to prepare in the moment.
Despite being in pain and on medication, I showed up and shared my experience and past projects as clearly as I could. After the call, I followed up with an email explaining that I wasn’t at my best and offered to have another conversation to go deeper into my work once I felt better. Instead, I received a rejection.
There are many companies out there, but I was interested in Maven for a reason. I specifically wanted to work at a company that understands what women go through, because I live with it every month. Getting rejected specifically because I couldn’t perform my best due to severe period pain was hard enough, but coming from Maven, a woman-founded company that works on women’s health, it felt especially discouraging.
If I had been told in advance that the call would be technical, I would’ve immediately asked to reschedule. But I wasn’t given that information, and I tried to show up in good faith despite my condition. I may not have been able to answer every technical question in full detail, but I was doing my best under very difficult circumstances. I expected a level of empathy and flexibility, especially from a company that exists to address this exact gap in healthcare.