09Feb26 Bad Job Bingo

Current AI's goals sure are lofty, but man, do I hope they can make them happen.

There's a part of me that, having worked in non-profits, will always be wary of the way they tend to chew people up and spit them out in the name of the mission. However, this is not an American non-profit, nor does it even list the United States as a partner country, and I have no idea if that capitalism-lite culture extends beyond our shores.

I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a few reasons. First, there's this very grounded list of traits they're looking for in the person who would assume this role:

And two, the pay is €70k-€100k, which I understand is pretty fantastic for a Community role in Europe. For those reasons, and because it makes me feel hopeful about AI, I'm tentatively putting this in Green Means Go.

The Careers page is thorough and informative, although the "We're looking for the Best" tripped the "We only hire the best of the best" bingo entry.

People don't come here to join a culture that's built on digital freedom. They come to cultivate it. — Getting some culty vibes here, but maybe it's fine!

The duties are well-articulated and reasonable for the role. I think it really is fine? And the requirements are all normal too, the benefits section actually contains benefits, and the salary is great at $115,000 - $143,000, although they don't say what the work days are for this role, but that's not a huge deal.

Happy to place this is in Eh, It's Probably Fine.

Very straightforward Trust & Safety role; nothing jumps out at me as particularly concerning, and the pay is excellent. You'd be working for OpenAI.

Not much to say about this one; the duties and qualifications seem pretty straightforward, and the salary is decent for a Docs role. Solid Eh, It's Probably Fine.

This is a contract role with Randstad, which is a staffing agency. The pay is okay – $25 per hour for what appears to be a remote, entry-level role is good. And having started myself in CX as a contract content moderator, I can say it's a good way to get your foot in the door in Trust & Safety or CX (I eventually did both).

BUT – and that's a big but – it is also very challenging work, and you need to be absolutely sure that you can handle graphic, sexual, violent, racist, etc., content because it will be your job to look at that content and remove it so it doesn't harm others.

I know that seems like a silly thing to point out, but I've worked with folks who weren't ready for the kind of content that gets moderated (you should always assume it's the worst of the worst), and it harmed their mental health. You likely won't get any kind of mental health care through a contract role, so that should be something you consider as well before you apply.

Collaborating with Support, Engineering, SREs, Product Management and Customer Success teams. Showing a respect for all team members and customers at all times — Oof, I'm a nosy bitch who'd love to know who inspired this bullet.

Actively prioritizing tasks/workload with self-discipline and good timekeeping. Adopting an 'always-learning' mentality, with a humble attitude about knowledge limitations, and the ability to learn from experience and informal/formal instruction — Oh yeah, this is definitely in response to something. 👀

Well, this was fine until I got to the last bit of the required qualifications and basically all of the preferred quals section. For a senior technical role like this, $83,500-$100,000 is poor compensation. Throwing this in Tread Carefully.

Note: There are other technical support roles open at this company, including a Senior Technical Support Engineer II role that's remote in the UK.

Pie's Careers page is very informative and their Values/How We Work statements seem pretty grounded. So far so good!

Identify gaps and needs for automation to create the best end to end experience. Create connectivity by collaborating cross-functionally within the direct functional areas as well as across other departments and functions that will influence direction, or could be impacted by strategy and direction within our departments. — I feel like there's gotta be a clearer way to say "will work cross-functionally with other applicable teams." Oh, look. I did it.

Accountable for the internal and external collection programs; managing through Managers and Analysts to maximize AR and reduce bad debt. — You can't see me, but I'm making a face because that's an odd duty for a Director of CS (though maybe not for Operations?). Actually, it's just hitting me how big a job running CS and Ops would be. Not sure those are functions I'd want to consolidate under one person.

There is just...a lot of words in this JD. So many words.

Works cross-functionally with UW, Product, Claims, Compliance, BD, Marketing, and Executives to deliver a best in class audit operation for our customer, partners, and internal team members to achieve Pie's financial goals. — I have been trying to figure out what this means for a good 2 minutes. Just staring at the words. The many, many words.

Data literacy is the ability to read, work with, analyze, and argue with data. — This is in the requirements section, apropos of nothing, and made me laugh right out loud.

Demonstrated experience working on projects involving redesigning how a company is structured, updating the technology everyone uses, or changing the way work gets done to be more efficient. Is comfortable making sure the organization is set up in the best way to meet its goals. — HOW IS THIS A CS ROLE (Miles: And now we're also the CIO?)

Overall organization support using planning skills, problem solving skills, communication skills and demonstrating adaptability while maintaining a results-focused approach to deliverables. — I'm curious how they expect the person in this role to have a "results-driven approach" when they seem to have all the deliverables.

Comfortable working in an agile-based workflow - working in a fast paced and flexible way of producing work and results. The need for collaboration, and continuous improvement, and supporting of the iterative process is essential here. — I really need to know who wrote this JD and then who approved it.

Demonstrated listening, and influence skills to build a culture of encouragement, and empowerment that cascades through the organization and other leaders. — Oooooooooof. Now they're also HR.

I mean, the comp is $140,000-$180,000, but that doesn't seem nearly enough for a role that's running CS, Ops, IT, HR, and maybe also the rest of the company?

So I rated Quince's Director, Support Operations role back in July 2024, and there is still - STILL - no Careers page to speak of. Absolutely wild.

We are a destination for builders, innovators, and operators to come together and challenge the status quo. — What status quo? The status quo of fast fashion and $180 sheets? Really?

Our collective ambition is bold. We are creating an entirely new category and customer experience – one that democratizes luxury — Oh my god, can we not. You are convincing people to buy things. THAT IS CAPITALISM THAT IS JUST CAPITALISM OH MY GOD CAN WE JUST FUCKING NOT

and provides high quality products at radically low prices — An infant cashmere cardigan at the low, low price of <checks notes> $50. Mmhmm. (It's okay, y'all! Because the normal retail price is $178!)

That mission demands a world-class team committed to excellence. — Does it. Does it really.

If you are motivated by impact, growth, and purpose, you will find a strong sense of belonging at Quince. — Oh, too bad, I'll take my sloth-like, stagnated ass elsewhere then, I guess.

We are seeking a natural leader — No, you're not. You're really not. No one who knows anything about leadership is.

Lead, manage, and develop a team of CA-based Retention Specialists — Not customer service specialists! Gotta keep those plebes buying, folks!

Assist with hiring, onboarding, and ongoing training of Retention Specialists to ensure readiness and alignment with Quince values — I legit forgot they had values. Silly me.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a keen attention to tone and clarity — Watch your tone while you democratize luxury!!!

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving startup environment — Whatever. You know what I'd say here if I weren't so goddamned tired. You know, from all the fucking capitalism.

Look, real talk: the job itself sounds fine. But I'd rate it a lot higher if the company seemed at all capable of looking at itself and its business honestly: as just another discount brand trying to get people to buy more things. And, given their business model, probably people who can't really afford to buy more things. (If they wanted to (or could) sell to luxury buyers, they would.)

Your mileage may vary on this one for sure, but I'm putting it in BINGO.

Note: They don't say whether this role is on-site or remote, so I'm assuming it's on-site.

Steph's Notes 09Feb26:

Steph's Notes 09Aug25: There's a legal page and a pricing page, but no Careers page to speak of (just a list of jobs in Ashby).

Our mission is to build tools that empower human creativity, not replace it. That is suspiciously reasonable for an AI company. We believe AI is a new medium that allows us to express ourselves through various formats—text, images, video, sound, and even 3D. We're building better, smarter, and more controllable tools to harness this medium. — This doesn't really say anything, but it's also not wildly harmful like a lot of AI missions. So...there's that, I guess?

If you're passionate about pushing the boundaries of AI and empowering human creativity, we'd love to hear from you. — Ah, that's more familiar. Is there an AI company out there that doesn't claim to be "pushing the boundaries of AI?" This always reads as "pushing the boundaries of what's an acceptable use of AI" to me.

As Lead Community Manager, you’ll manage all aspects of Krea’s growing artist community through platforms like Discord, and by running events in-person across our artist hubs, such as San Francisco, NYC, and Los Angeles. — Lordy. This should be at least a Head of Community, then.

Our culture: We work full-time and in-person at our waterfront office in San Francisco. We believe in investing heavily in early potential: attaching side-projects is heavily encouraged. We believe that demonstrated interest in the creative space is key: our team includes musicians, designers, visual artists and more. — It is both hilarious and sad that they think this is describing their culture and not, like, conditions of employment. More sad than hilarious, really.

The "What You'll Do" section is a little weird in that it doesn't really match up with the job summary from the intro. The job summary sounds more senior, while the "What You'll Do" section just feels junior and incomplete.

Example experience and tacit skills we're looking for — That's not what tacit means, friends.

Proven experience in managing social media platforms and creating engaging content. Proven experience in managing social media and in-person events, especially in the creative communities. Experience in event planning and execution. — Do we think AI wrote this or did the hiring manager just tap out halfway through the job description?

Example Ideal Candidate - A Discord or Reddit community moderator for technologies like Pika or Midjourney, that organizes or attends in-person AI meet-ups with proven contributions. — What, pray tell, is an in-person AI meet-up? I'm dying to know.

Work alongside a world class developing the future of AI tooling — Work alongside a world-class...*something*! (Who nonetheless can't be bothered to proofread the JD their low-rent AI generated for them.)

The "What We Offer" section is just dumb. You will not be shocked to hear that the last bullet point claims competitive compensation with no actual number. This job listing is deeply, hilariously unimpressive and therefore earns this BINGO.

This has been bookmarked since before I broke myself, so I'm going to out on a limb and say it's a ghost job or the turnover is awful. Also, they do not actually say where they hire, so I'm just assuming the USA.

On the Careers page: At Promenade, individuals come together and commit to the values that drive innovation, change, and success for small businesses. Here, you’ll do much more than join us; you’ll add to us. — As a intro statement, it doesn't suck.

Their Careers page brags about being a great place to work, so you know what's next: to Glassdoor!

Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every professional in the world, and that starts with our own employees. — I have a bad feeling about this.

Okay, in the job description! Totally not bracing myself. Totally.

As a Customer Service Team Lead, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our customers receive exceptional support and fostering strong relationships within our team. You will accomplish this by developing world-class B2B partnerships, adhering to industry best practices, and fostering unbeatable customer satisfaction. — Is it just me, or is that thing about adhering to industry best practice just a weird thing to say?

This role is best suited for someone who is passionate, empathetic, driven, and loves solving complex problems with grace and gusto. — Okay…

We are looking for someone who is outgoing, detail-oriented, works efficiently under pressure, and has an incredible knack for remaining calm and positive in all situations. — Ahh, there it is.

In the 'What's in it for you' section: "Great Medical/Dental/Vision coverage" – Friends. Countrymen. 'Great' is not a metric. If it was great, they'd tell us what the coverage actually is.

Fully stocked snack bar & weekly catered lunches. The company provided gear & swag (MacBook Pro, t-shirt, sunglasses, etc.) — I love that they detail what swag you get and not the benefits.

Work in a fast-paced, fun environment with an eclectic group of people from all over the world — A fun environment in which you have to remain calm and positive in all situations? Sure, that checks out.

Friendly, optimistic, and have a caring demeanor. Adept at working well under pressure and with tight deadlines — Okay, so this place is the 9th circle of hell, right? (The 8th circle being LinkedIn, of course).

$23 - $25 an hour — omg wut

Wait wait it's not EVEN $25hr! (in tiny print): $23/hr with $10k annual bonus, paid quarterly — That is, at most, $58,840. To work in a horror movie.

Have you ever managed a book of business? — And why is this a question on an application for a Customer Service Team Lead???

Y'all want to guess how many entries it hit in BJB?

Why join Promenade? If you want a front-row seat in seeing a company disrupt a massive industry — Unless I'm a founder, I don't want a front-row seat. I prefer not to be a crash test dummy, thank you very much.

(It was 15.)