Job Seeker Loses Data Engineer Role Over a Comma, Internet Slams Unfair Hiring Process

Job Seeker Loses Data Engineer Role Over a Comma: A data analyst was taken aback after being rejected from a job interview not due to incompetence or lack of skills, but over a minor grammatical error. The individual had successfully cleared the first round for a data engineer role at a well-known company, whose name resembles the word “quantity". However, in the second round, they were dismissed over a missing comma in a SQL query written in Notepad.

The frustrated individual took to Reddit to share their experience and seek advice on transitioning from a data analyst (DA) to a data engineer (DE).

In a post, the Redditor wrote, "Got Rejected Over a Missing Comma – This Market Is a Joke." He explained, "Had my second-round interview for a Data Engineer role at a well-known company (the name resembles 'quantity'). Cleared the first round, and in the second, I answered everything correctly—except I forgot a comma between two column names while writing a SQL query in Notepad. The interviewer went off on me for 20 minutes about relying on AI tools and IDEs, completely dismissing my experience working with complex analytical queries and building ETL pipelines at a leading CDP

The candidate explained that he had successfully cleared the first interview round at a well-known company, whose name he hinted at as resembling "quantity." During the second round, he was required to write a SQL query in Notepad. Although he answered everything correctly, he forgot to place a comma between two column names.

Also Read: Words of a Baba Don’t…’: Prashant Kishor Slams Godman Dhirendra Shastri

The post quickly gained traction, sparking a discussion on Reddit. Many users sympathized with the job seeker, while others debated the fairness of hiring processes.

One user commented, "This is ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes. If they are rejecting skilled candidates over a missing comma, maybe they need to rethink their hiring criteria."

Another said, "If the role involved constant manual query writing, maybe I’d understand. But expecting someone to be flawless without an IDE? Unrealistic."

Also Read: Young Couple Murdered in Suspected Honour Killing Over Love Affair in UP

A frustrated job seeker added, "Interviews nowadays feel like they are designed to find reasons to reject candidates rather than assess their actual abilities."

However, some defended the hiring decision. One person remarked, "Attention to detail is critical in data engineering. A missing comma can break an entire script. Maybe the interviewer was testing how he handles pressure."

A social media user doubted if the interviewer went off for 20 minutes just over a comma? Addressing this, the Redditor elaborated, “My interviewer had plenty of time. He went on and on about how he didn’t have access to advanced IDEs and debugging tools when he started his career. Then, he ranted about how AI tools are ruining this generation of developers. He also claimed to have never used a debugger and insisted that I should develop the same habit. I’ve never experienced anything like this. If I had already made my decision as an interviewer, I would have simply ended the interview."

Also Read: Engineers Arrested for Beating ‘Drunken’ Auto-Driver to Death in Gurugram