The Curious Case of Joe and the British Airways Breakdown

So Joe, mild-mannered word wizard and copywriting hopeful, applies for a job with British Airways. A 12-month fixed-term role. Sounds stable. Sounds British. Sounds like he might get free peanuts and employee discounts on checked luggage.

He gets the interview.

Joe prepares like he’s entering the Queen’s court. Fresh shirt. Clean background. Hair styled like he just stepped out of a shampoo commercial filmed in Heathrow Terminal 5.

The virtual interview goes flawlessly. He nails every question.

“Tell us about yourself?”

Joe: “I once wrote a tagline so good it made my client cry. In a good way.”

“What’s your biggest weakness?”

Joe: “Knowing when to stop making a sentence more dramatic. And poetic. And emotional. Like this one.”

“Can you work independently?”

Joe: “I freelance. I talk to plants. I thrive in solitude.”

He logs off feeling like Shakespeare with Wi-Fi.

Then he waits.

And waits.

And waits.

Three weeks later, a carrier pigeon in email form arrives:

“Dear Joe,

After much consideration, we have decided not to progress your application at this time…”

It reads like the breakup letter from someone who still wants to borrow your Netflix login. They even say “we hope you’ll consider future opportunities with us,” like they didn’t just yeet his dreams out the emergency exit door without even offering peanuts.

But here’s the kicker…

They said it took a while to get back to him due to the “high volume of candidates.” Which Joe translates to:

“We forgot about you until Susan found your resume in the wrong Dropbox folder next to the in-flight safety manuals.”

Joe’s devastated, but he’s also… oddly flattered?

He thinks: They didn’t just reject me fast. They marinated in it. They slow-cooked this no for flavor.

So what does Joe do?

He updates his portfolio.

He crafts a spicy new LinkedIn post:

“British Airways grounded my copywriting dreams, but I’m still cleared for takeoff.”

He gets 437 likes and a DM from a startup called “JetStreamed,” offering him a freelance gig writing snarky baggage claim signage.

Moral of the story?

Joe may not have landed the gig at British Airways,

But he did land in your heart.

And possibly a better job where the only turbulence is trying to get paid on time.

Safe travels, Joe. ✈️