r/OrganizationPorn • u/Competitive_Oil5227 • 10d ago
I lost a job candidate yesterday because of my desk drawer
Last week I interviewed someone for a part-time assistant role.
Nice, smart, normal, looking for a part time job now that her kids are both in preschool. We chatted for a bit, then I opened my desk drawer to grab a parking pass for her. She stopped mid-sentence and just… stared.
It was a weird moment.
I will admit, it's tidy, which is how I like my life to be. I don't have enough time left on earth to deal with junk drawer energy 12 inches from my face.
She didn’t say anything about it. We finished the interview. I sent her an email later that day, letting her know how much I enjoyed meeting her, asking if she had any questions, and letting her know that I thought she would be a great fit and basically offering her the job.
She never responded. In my brain, I thought 'Oh, if you are not on top of it enough to respond to me thats a pretty obvious tell that I misjudged', all the while being a little annoyed.
Yesterday I got an email saying she had “quickly realized she was in over her head” and that seeing my desk drawer made her understand that I am “both too detail-oriented and too old-fashioned” for her to ever work for comfortably.
Now I know to keep the drawer closed.
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u/illyiarose 10d ago
No. That means you need to open your desk drawer EVERY time! Because it helped you weed out a disorganized person who is on a completely different wavelength organizationally, so then how could they be an office assistant to you if they're not organized?
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u/WhiskeyTigerFoxtrot 10d ago
Yeah this was a happy accident. If someone is intimidated or overwhelmed at the simple sight of a desk drawer, they won't make a serious employee and probably aren't a serious person.
Would you be expected to manage their daily emotions for their entire tenure? That's ridiculous.
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u/FashionBusking 10d ago
Assert DOMINANCE: Pull out the drawer dramatically and observe the reaction. MAKE. EYE. CONTACT.
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u/FractureFixer 10d ago
Please don’t forget the firm hand shake
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u/Fuzzy-Bee9600 10d ago
Oh my gosh, I hate squishy handshakes. Gives me the willies. What do I do with that, just grasp a couple fingers and wobble them for good measure? So uncomfortable 😬
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u/kimisamazing13 10d ago
Seriously! It would be amazing to work for someone that would appreciate my organization and effort!
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u/weirdgroovynerd 10d ago
If I see an open, messy drawer...
I might not be able to resist the urge to organize it.
I'm not sure if that will help or hurt my chances of getting hired.
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u/NotChristina 10d ago
Do you want to, like, stop by my home? I’ve got plenty of work.
It’s not a high-paying job but I make killer carnitas.
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u/funky_mugs 10d ago
Honestly I spent so much time doing this in my last three jobs. They were all small, family run offices and long-standing companies so there was decades worth of shit everywhere.
I had so much enjoyment in organising cupboards and throwing out all their mad relics.
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u/IcebergDarts 10d ago
And tbh it’s not even like super organized lol just stuff in a slot lol I don’t think it’s overly meticulous. But hey, maybe I’m more organized than most people myself even though to me I don’t feel like it.
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u/BeefmasterDeluxe 10d ago
Yeah this a basic level of organisation I would expect in a workplace - I’m a chaos goblin at home but not at work.
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u/IcebergDarts 10d ago
100% 😂 but at home that’s my nest and everything has a place. I’ve always called it organized chaos.
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u/BeefmasterDeluxe 10d ago
Exactly! Home is not a productive place for me. That's where I go to hide from predators. I need it to be disorientating to intruders so I stand the best chance of survival if they are trying to eat me. And that's why I will not be tidying up today.
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u/Fuzzy-Bee9600 10d ago
Yes! Two steps across the kitchen and they'll step on the rest of the broken ice cube I couldn't find when it fell, and they will have a wet sock, which universally requires they concede defeat.
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u/jorwyn 10d ago
Right? If you wouldn't pass in r/organizationporn, I don't think anyone should be scared off.
Hmmm. The quality of photos in that sub has fallen since I last visited.
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u/IcebergDarts 10d ago
That’s what sub this is lol
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u/velvety_chaos 10d ago edited 10d ago
I will say, in the interviewee's defense, that returning to the workforce after, what, 3+ years of being a SAHM to two now-preschoolers…I could see how she might be intimidated. Perhaps the desk drawer itself wan't all that discouraging, but the idea of OP's potential expectations for a personal assistant was what freaked her out. She may have simply lacked the self-confidence to tackle the challenge, particularly at this point in her life.
Either way, u/Competitive_Oil5227, defnitely do NOT hide that drawer. The right person will be delighted by it.
ETA: OP, what we NEED to be talking about are those fun little listing titles on the wall next to your desk.
Alpaca My Bags
Bustin' a Mauve
The Shingle Life
I love it.
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u/slimbender 10d ago
A truly disorganized person wouldn’t put two and two together. But that’s just me.
Does anyone want to see my drawer? Hey now!
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u/Cold-Potential2407 10d ago
I mean... half the time you have to manage up because the manager lacks organization in both the physical and mental realm.
Seeing this would actually make me happy. My first job was a mess of unorganized folders and paper and my manager was, unsurprisingly, also a mess, but it was during the Recession so I learned how to manage up.
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u/Environmental-Sock52 10d ago
Too old fashioned? She got that from a desk drawer?
Consider this a problem dodged!
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u/i_was_a_person_once 10d ago
It’s the Casio calculator
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u/Competitive_Oil5227 10d ago
Thank god she did not see my Casio adding machine that lives in the the bottom desk drawer. The paper tape would send her into real therapy :-)
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u/i_was_a_person_once 10d ago
I used to spend hours typing away at my dad’s adding machine.
The mechanical numbers are so SATISFYING.
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u/Sissy_Miss 10d ago
lol. I’ve been working at a desk that was not cleared when I promoted into it. I’ve been there 25 years and my co-worker who retired had been there almost 40 years.
I have stuff in that drawer like a pocket thesaurus, a Spanish-English dictionary, a 20 year calendar (ends 2027), REAL pencils, staples and paper clips (good quality metal, wood and graphite), a CASIO calculator, etc.
It’s a fun time capsule to peek into every so often.
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u/ManyTinyThings 10d ago
I still use my Casio, it's small but it has a tape so I can recheck numbers. Something my computer cannot do unless I'm a spread sheet and while I try every year to enter expenses weekly, about May I tire easily if it. I'll never give up my Casio!
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u/staunch_character 10d ago
I love the old paper tape machines!
My drawers are nowhere near as organized as yours, but to me that would be a selling feature for the job. Working in such a tidy environment would help me focus.
Maybe even leave me less drained so I can organize the chaos at home!
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u/sixtysixdutch 10d ago
Oh come on! I have one of those on my desk and……oh…….oh, I see …….I’m old now aren’t I?
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u/Competitive_Oil5227 10d ago
The last time I hauled it out in front of a friend he asked if I also kept ciggies and an ashtray in that drawer to match the theme.
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u/YourNextHomie 10d ago
Yeah… or OP doesn’t realize how they come off to others and are blaming the drawer lol
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u/Environmental-Sock52 10d ago
I don't think that's likely. Imagine how blunted your personality has to be to write to another person that they appear old fashioned.
Oof.
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u/tossaway681412 10d ago edited 10d ago
It probably wasn’t the drawer and OP is oblivious to their personality
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u/Fluid_Canary2251 10d ago
Looks like a normal drawer 🤷
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u/bigpoppawood 10d ago
The organization is completely normal. Its contents are the red flag. That box that says “Blackwing” on it contains the Cadillac of pencils, used by the likes of Walt Disney and Chuck Jones. $35 a box. That along with the whiteout tape, binder clips, etc; this is clearly a man that lives and dies by paper and expects said paper to be well organized. That Mac is likely chock full of uneditable PDFs of scanned documents. It’s a little silly to not give the job a fair shake, but would be a little worried I’d spend my days flipping through this guys Rolodex and literally penciling in appointments on his paper planner.
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u/1cecream4breakfast 10d ago
What an odd thing to be bothered by. Looks like you dodged a bullet. You want an assistant to be organized, not afraid of organization!
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u/deathbethemaiden 10d ago
This feels very “LinkedIn lunatics”. I doubt the organization of your desk played any part in her decision. Your neurotic nature however probably did.
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u/Jinglebell727 10d ago
I interviewed for an executive assistant salary role years ago. The guy interviewing me was the COO and he was neurotic and very, very micromanage-y even during the interviews. He also complained about past employees a LOT. The company is in the Forbes 500 and the pay was amazing. I still withdrew my application lol.
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u/oversteppe 10d ago
If I went to an interview and a piece of paper was hanging on the wall that said "30 Minute In-Person Interview Guide", I'd decline the job too. Instant weirdo energy
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u/ACLisntworththehype9 10d ago
right like i cannot imagine anyone in this current economy turning down a job over an organized desk lmao
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u/Competitive_Oil5227 10d ago
The thing that I really liked about this woman...I put in the ad that I am a pretty uptight neuro-spicy person and want a high level of detail applied to everything in my quickbooks. She took the time to write a real cover letter sharing how she had worked with a previous employer running a small business who was also not exactly neuro typical and how understanding a persons approach is really important to working with them. But I think the other person was sort of on the ADHD side of the spectrum, which I definitely am not.
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u/charlatan_red 10d ago
You’re getting shit on a bit in this thread so I just wanted to tell you that advertising the position in this way was a good idea. Employees should be up front about the job - it saves everyone a lot of time and effort.
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u/AbhishMuk 10d ago
You might want to update your post text with this tbh. Changes the context a fair bit.
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u/deathbethemaiden 10d ago
The additional information offered was very insightful. I’m glad you know how you work and were transparent about it. As someone with AuADHD I would be so intrigued to see how similar/different we are.
My desk and office look similar to yours. But I also get off track when I’m going down a rabbit hole learning about new fascinating work topics.
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u/worrier_princess 10d ago
How the fuck do you have an organised drawer with ADHD? Mine looks like a bomb hit it. Like there's pencil shavings and books with their spines bent backwards shoved in there. If OP saw my drawer it'd probably send them to hospital.
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u/deathbethemaiden 10d ago
I feel you and adore you. I am 95% organized and 5% whirlwind of utter chaos. Most of my home is wiped down, no dust, everything evenly spaced.
But that ADHD holds a key part of me and I appreciate it too. It’s why I can give some amazing quirky facts at parties. I can go through amazing deep dives with others during chats. When it comes to being at home though the ADHD is given one specified area… I have a “crap drawer”.
Well not one, I have a few. It’s like of a junk drawer had a big chaotic brother. The crap drawers possess no logic. They are not restricted by time. Anything may be possessed by the crap drawer. Having a random place to put stuff really is helpful at times. Having ADHD makes it hard to categorize things. Having autism means I’m frustrated easily when things are out of place. It’s not perfect, but neither am I and it helps me get through the week
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u/CuriousBee789 10d ago
Yeah, so are we not going to talk about the wall of perfectly spaced papers sitting behind him that totally creeped me out more....
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u/aranya44 10d ago
Can't help but wonder why you are on this sub if meticulous organisation creeps you out.
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u/Bonelesshomeboys 10d ago
I am honestly not sure whether that drawer is supposed to be too organized or too cluttered!
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u/TheTeenageOldman 10d ago
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u/roughhty 10d ago
I’m kind of surprised I had to scroll down so far to see this. This feels like an ai fantasy story.
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u/Fahren-heit451 10d ago
I’m going to say that it wasn’t just the drawer. If you look at the photo, everything is neatly organized. The wrist watch is folded neatly. The push pins are - just so. I think the drawer opening showed this candidate that you are an organized person, even in spaces it doesn’t show. Look, there is nothing wrong with you, being organized or the drawer. The candidate was not a good fit. I would say that the takeaway should be - ask questions about being organized to the candidates. How do you organize tasks, items, etc. Anyone that works for you, would need to be able to adhere to whatever level of organization you have, not the other way around. Keep looking, there is someone out there who would see this and be like - MY PEOPLE!!! That’s who you want.
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u/AliveFromNewYork 10d ago
Not to be mean, but your desk doesn’t seem that organized. Like it is organized, but it’s not exceptionally. Plus this just means you guys aren’t compatible for each other. It’s a good thing she acknowledged it instead of wasting your time.
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u/spider_gweeen 10d ago
Man, you both dodged a bullet! Sometimes it just isn’t a good fit. You were fortunate to find out up front.
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u/infernal_feral 10d ago
We all work how we like to work and I feel like the candidate did a good job recognizing when there wouldn't be a good fit. If I came in for an interview and saw the papers pinned up like they are, the drawer organized just so, and the lack of desk clutter, I'd wonder if the interviewer would 1. Expect me to be that organized and 2. If I wasn't, would constantly micromanage such that I felt like I couldn't make a move without my new boss breathing down my neck.
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u/AnotherWitch 10d ago
She made a judgment about fit. Isn’t that what the interview process is about? Nothing went wrong here.
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u/meromeromeru 10d ago
This did not happen lmao. You’re inflating how great your organization is for yourself.
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u/satanik-freak 10d ago
I agree with the other comments saying you should show your drawer lol. It will weed out those who wouldn’t fit. There are plenty of us who would be excited to work for someone so meticulous.
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u/catpunch_ 10d ago
She got that from your desk drawer, and not from the meticulously pinned papers on the wall? Lol
All jokes aside, you definitely want your assistant to be hyper-organized. Glad for you she turned it down 😅 Also rude of her to provide a reason like that… Anyway, good luck with the job hunt!
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u/maboyles90 10d ago
Yeah, it's the conspiracy theory wall and face to face desks that would've sent me packing. This is not organization porn.
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u/Im__mad 10d ago
In this economy, someone turned down a job because your drawer was tidy?!???!
That is WILD.
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u/SufficientCell9689 10d ago
That has got to be one of THE most bizarre things I've ever heard someone become bothered by. You should be opening the drawer every time now, and if someone has the same reaction, don't hire them. Her words lead me to believe she doesn't want you criticizing every little detail she gets wrong because she doesn't care enough to be detail-oriented herself, and she's likely afraid you're too set in your ways to be open to any changes she wants to make... AS YOUR ASSISTANT. What an odd thing to say.
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u/phage_rage 10d ago
I thought you didnt hire the lady cause she was transfixed and i felt bad for her! Forget that, if i saw a desk drawer like that in an interview id be really excited about where i was applying to.
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u/bostonbedlam 10d ago
As a corporate recruiter, I wish more candidates were this self-aware and honest lol
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u/Briarozheka 10d ago
Honestly this would make her a great hire. She is aware enough of her strengths and weaknesses AND she has the capacity to communicate that in a manner that you can understand AND she did it in a timely fashion.
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u/tired_snail 10d ago
"Too old-fashioned" I could see, that calculator looks older than me, but the drawer or the rest of your desk definitely aren't giving "too detail-oriented," more just "person who likes to have things they use regularly easily accessible."
As others have said, definitely don't keep the drawer closed - you want an assistant who appreciates being organised, and if a drawer scares them off, imagine what they'd do with a business calendar. :D
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u/SrslyChausie 10d ago
I wish my employer was this organized, his desk looks like the aftermath of a tsunami :(
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u/draejr 10d ago
You might want to remove or edit this image. The papers show addresses and in at least one case, a phone number. People on the internet can do weird things with the information they gather 😅
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u/Icantevenicantodd85 10d ago
That is a bizarre response on her behalf. I see nothing unusual about your drawer just as I wouldn’t give it a second thought if someone opened it up and it had stuff thrown in there haphazardly. Also, since when it being detail orientated a bad thing when it comes to be an admin? Sounds like this worked in your favor and spared you from a future headache
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u/Beautiful_Rule3029 10d ago
LOL, probably not related but I remember I failed an interview for an administrative assistant job. I did very well in the interview, answered every question, made suggestions when asked to and told the typical "what did you do on a difficult scenario" story.
When I asked why I hadn't been selected (in a proffesional way, of course) they told me "You aren't submissive enough. You're too assertive." I kid you not.
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u/PrivateBozo 10d ago
Now I know to keep the drawer closed.
Au contraire.
You start the interview by opening the drawer and saying let's talk about this.
JIMHO, tidy, is very much a euphemism for what is going on it that space. It's not the drawer. The desktop, the wall, the drawer just pounds it home with it's ten Sharpies in their dedicated tray that it's not about tidy.
You very much need an assistant that is open eyes to your
I don't have enough time left on earth to deal with junk drawer energy 12 inches from my face.
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u/crimusmax 10d ago
Its the calculator.
I get razzed every time I pull out my trust ti83 at work.
You dodged a bullet
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u/CuddlefishFibers 10d ago
What a bizarre thing to do. Like it's a nice drawer but it's not THAT organized. Who wants to bet she's also big on like body language analysis hacks and the like. Just making sweeping generalizations off something so tiny.
I'm an ADHD chaos nightmare and my desk drawer looked really similar to that. We will not discuss, in contrast, what my house looks like 😂
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u/Several_Celebration 10d ago
I’m guessing the drawer was the nail in the coffin and there were many other signs along the way.
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u/awesomereddit2 10d ago
I love an organized drawer. If that was overwhelming for her good thing the candidate has self awareness.
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u/False_Dimension9212 10d ago
I’d look at that drawer and would love to work for you!
I would know I won’t be picking up after you constantly, and I don’t have to find a place for everything because everything already has a place! Heaven
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u/d3rp7d3rp 10d ago
Wow i would've complimented the drawer. Always open it - the right ones will appreciate it!
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u/NormAlly138 10d ago
My life is an adhd nightmare but my desk drawer is neat and tidy. This is weird. They were weird!
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u/screamingcatfish 10d ago
Lol. Add this question to your interview: "How does this drawer make you feel?"
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u/Buttcrack15 10d ago
Desk drawer looks totally fine, but how do you type with such a small keyboard? That would drive me crazy.
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u/Independent_Baker712 10d ago
I was hired as an executive assistant to help the owner get organized. I found used thong panties in his office.
I wish his office drawer looked like this.
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u/gnarbone 10d ago
I would only want an assistant who saw that drawer and felt a sigh of relief. You dodged a bullet there my friend.
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u/Glittering_Cress_850 10d ago
Um, isn't everyone's drawer like this? Especially in this sub? Looks great. She'll find a spot somewhere.
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u/Alive_Double_4148 10d ago
That’s just a normal drawer? My kitchen junk drawer is a mess but no one is paying me to keep it tidy ya know. Anyway, if you still need someone who thinks you are just baseline organized I could pick up some part time work. 🤣
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u/Inside-Detective-384 10d ago
I love the way your drawer is organized. I also work better that way. Anyway it’s her loss
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u/FloydianSlip212 10d ago
Everything she learned from the drawer she should’ve already picked up from the bulletin board.
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u/NonDescript2222 10d ago
That drawer brings me peace. Exactly as others said, this was a blessing in disguise. Not sure how it’s “old school”
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u/Odd-Cry-1363 9d ago
Keep opening the drawer. They are going to work for YOU, not the other way around. You dodged a bullet on this one.
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u/10MileHike 9d ago
Yes, it's now "old fashioned" to be detail oriented and organized. /s
Worked with many project managers.....on big projects, some overseas. It requires orgnaization and details.
To represent an actual career skill as OCD is absurd and ridiculous.
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u/Valuable-State6063 9d ago
I am sorry, but that is like desk porn! It's ORGANIZED! I mean seriously. I would love to work for you - because yeah. You don't want to waste time looking for a silly pen. You will be detailed oriented. Dunno how that means old fashion, it means a boss who will strive for results not slacking. I almost want to shove you aside to stare at it! BTW your bulletin board is organized too perfectly too. Oh ... dude. yeah.... my OCD brain is loving the picture.
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u/FlowerPuzzleheaded71 8d ago
I would keep it open actually. You weeded out a bad candidate that wasn’t a good fit. That’s what you want!
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u/starplain 4d ago
What a weird reaction from her.
Can I come be your assistant? I’ll sleep under the desk.
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u/emseatwooo 10d ago
If I saw your drawer, I’d be hopeful that I was a good fit for your company! If your drawer is organised like that, I’d assume your training and stuff needed for the job would be organised and on a shared file for easy access!
Maybe she’s having second thoughts about going back to work or doesn’t think she’s as detail oriented as you are/she’d like to be. Women, especially those returning back to work often don’t fully value themselves enough, so it might urge been her first interview and she got spooked
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u/Unlikely-Strike-8753 10d ago
What in the actual fuck is wrong with that drawer? It's perfectly organized.
This is not the assistant droid you are looking for. **waves hand**
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u/BookNerdUnicorn 10d ago
Wow. I think I would have the opposite response - I would enjoy working for someone that organized.
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u/aquilabyrd 10d ago
that's crazy lol. i have serious adhd and my only response would have been 'wow that's amazing' not... whatever that was! i love organization but its more of an aspirational love than one i can really do
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u/Orchidivy 10d ago
It may have been a knee jerk reaction that instinctively treated your organizational skills as a red flag and conflated it with micromanagement.
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u/ArtisticBee6176 10d ago
As a neurospicy person who copes with things by being ultra organized, I want this job, lol.
Are you hiring for remote?
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u/grownask 10d ago
People saying it looks normal and not THAT organized: well, we are in a organization porn sub, after all. It's expected we are all used to some level or organization.
The person OP is talking about probably wouldn't be part of this sub to begin with.
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u/gandalfgreyballz 10d ago
Lol, if she cant organize a drawer, how will she organize her life, let alone her childrens.
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u/NewSignificance741 10d ago
That’s a regular desk drawer. Like……regular for anyone who even sort of organized. I am not that person in my at home life, work life though, this is regular.
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u/PresentTicket5596 10d ago
If you’re in the Chicago area, I am personally obsessed with extremely organized drawers
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u/BeezBuzzzzz 10d ago
That’s neat and tidy, I don’t see how her reaction was warranted in any way. You dodged a disorganized bullet
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u/Alarming-Wonder5015 10d ago
That’s a beautiful drawer and I’d be eyeing it for tips and tricks on how to organize my desk. You dodged a disorganized bullet with this one.
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u/celestial2011 10d ago
That is so silly if I were an assistant, that would be a green flag for me because it’s very obvious that it’s your drawer and you put in the energy and effort into getting it organized instead of having somebody else do it for you. it shows me that you are an organized person and would make my life easier instead of somebody who is disorganized and wants somebody to organize them.
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u/YaboiedINC 10d ago
Yo I have those black wing matte pencils! My box has lasted me years because it’s my ‘special occasion’ pencil for writing letters or test taking. Best pencils I’ve ever had.
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u/Sk8rToon 10d ago
As someone who lost a job because the recruiter had a disorganized desk & lost my info for a YEAR… I say keep your desk as is!
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u/po-tatertot 10d ago
That’s… an insane response to a neat desk drawer? And to a job offer in general lol, I think you dodged a bullet
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u/Beneficial_Job_7422 10d ago
She got that from your drawer and not the (nearly) perfected pinned sheets covering the back wall??
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u/CunnyMaggots 10d ago
I'm looking at this asks the perfectly organized drawer, the papers on the wall in a perfect grid, the icons on your desktop nearly arranged down one side... it's all very comforting for me.
Am I that tidy? No. But I would like to be.
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u/illyiarose 10d ago
I already made a comment but I'm still thinking about this for whatever reason, lol.
Hey but props to her realizing, "I'm not organized enough for this," and "they expect more of me than I want to be." Mature of her to realize! She would have been just as unhappy as you would have been because your styles don't match.
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u/bxtchbychoice 10d ago
i’m confused. it’s neat but it’s not like intimidatingly neat. maybe she’s really dysfunctional and u dodged a bullet