I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to leave a review or what I might say in a review…read more So, just know that it is with a heavy heart that I feel compelled, despite my instinct, to get my story out there.
I was offered a job earlier this year directly from the principal. I was uncertain about the role but was deeply inspired by its prospects. Sensing my uncertainty, the principal invited me to speak with her recruiter, David, at Palo Alto Staffing.
I spoke with David for several hours across several phone meetings. By all accounts, things were going smoothly. That was until I got a call from the very principal who offered me the job telling me that she was uncertain about moving forward. When I asked why, she told me that David told her I would be a liability and that I was unqualified for the role.
Now, keep in mind, at this juncture David had articulated to me on more than one occasion that "there was no doubt in his mind that I could do the job." So, you can imagine my surprise when I learned he articulated the exact opposite story to the company.
Moreover, I asked David as candidly as I could whether he was supporting and endorsing me for the role, to which he responded, unequivocally, "yes."
Adding insult to injury, David expressed to the principal that he administered a test to me and that I failed that test. That is wholly untrue. Instead, David asked me one question over the phone regarding concerns relating to booking travel, and -frankly- my answer was far more sophisticated than his own. Somehow, David felt emboldened to translate that unstructured and cursory dialogue into a "test," that apparently I failed.
The principal then told me that David put himself up for the job! Let me say that one more time so it sinks in. David, the recruiter, in the same email in which he disparages my professionalism and undermines my qualifications, submits himself for the role.
Nevermind the obvious conflict of interest here, but if allegations of professionalism were my shortcoming, I can think of nothing more unprofessional than to overtly and explicitly betray the trust of the principal by simultaneously minimizing a candidate and then offering your own services in lieu of the candidate.
In my final discussion with David, he instructed me to send the principal an email highlighting my enthusiasm for the role, and we planned for him to follow-up on that thread with his endorsement and a plan on next steps. Again, you can imagine my surprise when I sent the email he directed me to send, and David never responded. Curious, I sent him a text message and reminded him that I had sent the email. Still, no response.
Instead, David decides to contravene everything he told me on the phone.
It is worth noting there was one other individual in the discussion process who was an outside service provider for the principal. I called that person to ask what her and David discussed following our conversations that so dramatically altered the outcome. She told me she was, by all accounts, enthusiastic about me coming aboard. I was, yet again, shocked to discover that David never actually coordinated with this stakeholder, as he claimed he would. In other words, it never occurred to David that before he comes to the conclusion that I would be a liability to the principal, to check in with the one other person in the interview process.
If that was insufficient for a review, let me add a few more notes. David insulted the principal to me! He criticized the size of her SFO. In the interest of placating him, I echoed his concerns, but I found it wholly inappropriate that he was insulting my putative boss.
It was conveyed to me by a person whose privacy I would like to maintain that David may have intentionally torpedoed my candidacy for this role because I was sourced directly from the principal, perhaps calling into question whether he would be compensated on the hire. I cannot say if this is true or not, but at this juncture, it would not surprise me.
I view David as a feckless sycophant, eagerly attaching himself to large-net-worth individuals and siphoning whatever value he can.
I have a law degree with a certificate in corporate law. I worked at two startups leading up to their IPO. I have worked on dozens of multimillion-dollar deals. I served as Volunteer Assistant District Attorney for the Resentencing Task Force under DA Chesa Boudin. I have litigated on behalf of immigrant families who were taken advantage of. I raised 15k for the Alzheimer's Association last month. I was the former Head of Legal and Compliance at Planned Parenthood Northern California. I hold degrees in philosophy, business and psychology. I am certified in PostgreSQL. In short, you can believe what I am saying.
