Irish Teacher Denied Job Due To Alcoholic Stereotype

An Irish school teacher who applied for an English teaching position in Seoul, South Korea, was denied the opportunity due to the stereotypical “alcoholism nature of [her] kind.” She first saw the job listed on Craigslist, and decided to pursue the opportunity. Her denial notification has since gone viral across the internet, after she decided to share the unfortunate rejection.

Katie Mulrennan was shocked that she even received a response from the potential employer, let alone such a blatant rejection due to a stereotype. When she read, “I am sorry to inform you that my client does not hire Irish people due to the alcoholism nature of your kind”, she was not really sure what to think. However, she eventually found humor in the response and decided to share it on the internet, according to the Independent.

It seems recently that teachers have made headlines due to misdeeds they commit while on the job, such as what happened when an Argentinian teacher created a sex tape with a student. It is rare to see a story occur before the teacher is hired, let alone receiving a rejection notice.

Mulrennan taught English in many exotic locations, such as Abu Dabi, Barcelona, and even South Korea, before applying to the position in Seoul. The rejection came as quite a surprise, but she was more angry that the agency refused to share her resume with the potential employers, according to BBC News.

“It was disappointing because these employers did not even get to see me. They never spoke to me and didn’t get a chance to hear what I sounded like.”

Since receiving the insulting rejection letter, the Irish teacher has found a great position that she enjoys immensely. Looking back, she can actually laugh about the experience, especially after receiving so much online support.

“I was annoyed about it. But I can also see it was a little bit hilarious as well. A friend saw it and encouraged me to post it online as it might go viral. I thought: ‘Really? It’s just another silly thing poking fun at Irish people’. But then I put it online and people started getting in touch.”

When asked if she replied to the initial rejection, Mulrennan replied that she “sent back a reply that was a little sarcastic.” However, she has not received another reply back from the agency.

How would you react to such a reply from a prospective employer?

[Photo Courtesy: BBC]