Samantha, 49

The untold secret:

Samantha, a human resource manager, was struggling to find someone special in her life. Tired of swiping left and right on dating apps and the disappointment that came with it, she stumbled upon an unusual idea that would allow her to not only interact with potential candidates but also to see their professional side as well. She started conducting fake job interviews, advertising job positions that didn't actually exist within her company. Her motive was to use these interviews as a tool to get to know the candidates and eventually find someone she could connect with. The idea was simple, she would carry out the interviews as she would with any real candidate, gaining insight into their professional and personal lives. The difference, however, was that these positions were never meant to be filled, making her secret one that she couldn't possibly share with anyone.

Conducting these fake job interviews was a way for Samantha to connect with people on, what she believed, a hopefully deeper level, to gain a better understanding of who those potential partners truly were and what they wanted out of life. It was a creative solution to a problem that she felt was unaddressable through conventional means. The excitement of meeting new people this way and the potential of finding someone special was enough to keep her going, despite the risk of being caught and potentially damaging her known reputation as an HR manager.

About Samantha:

Samantha grew up in a vibrant city, surrounded by friends and acquaintances who seemed to have a clear understanding of their life's purpose. Despite her best efforts, Samantha struggled to find her own passion, a driving force that would guide her towards a meaningful career. She felt adrift, as if there was something missing from her life that would give her a sense of direction.

Years went by and Samantha found herself working as an HR manager, a position that offered her a chance to meet and interview a wide range of talented individuals. At first, Samantha saw this as an opportunity to find her own calling, her own spark by trying to understand what it was that others did with their lives. But little did she know that her role as an HR manager was exactly what she was meant to do. She quickly found that she had a natural talent for evaluating and assessing the potential of job candidates, and that her passion for this work was unyielding.

However, as time went by, Samantha struggled finding love and grew increasingly frustrated with the dating scene and the plethora of dating apps she had tried. It seemed that everyone she encountered was lying, presenting an idealized version of themselves that was far from the truth. She longed for someone who was real, genuine, and who would surprise her with their authenticity.

It was then that Samantha had this unorthodox idea. She realized that she could use her role as an HR manager to her advantage, to beat the dating apps at their own game. She began conducting fake job interviews, carefully crafting questions that would allow her to get to know each candidate on a personal level. She was careful to keep her true intentions hidden, and over time, she met a diverse range of individuals, each with their own unique stories and personalities.

But soon Samantha discovered, something she knew all along, that the dating game wasn't the only arena where people could hide behind deceptive facades. Her fear of the same happening in her role as a hiring manager was confirmed as she struggled to see through the fluff and falsehoods presented by job seekers in their CVs and interviews. However, just as she was on the verge of calling it quits, a candidate walked into her office and captured her full attention, causing her to reconsider the potential of this unconventional approach.

This candidate was unlike any she had met before. Little did she know, he was actually a headhunter in disguise, sent to evaluate her abilities and potentially offer her a position. He was impressed with her interview skills and the qualities that made her stand out in her role as a hiring manager. Instead of directly offering her the job, he wanted to get to know her better and see her in action, so he applied for one of the fake positions she had created.

When Samantha learned of his true identity, she was faced with a dilemma. On one hand, she was flattered by the attention and impressed by his unconventional approach. On the other hand, she felt that it would be unethical to accept a job from someone she had interviewed, especially under false pretences and for a fake position. However, the more she got to know him, the more she was drawn to his bold and daring spirit. He too was searching for something genuine and real, and they soon realized that they had a lot in common.

Samantha decided to put an end to her little stunt and to invest her time and energy into this particular candidate instead. And since he wasn’t a candidate for a job opening, he certainly might turn out to be a potential candidate for a life together. This very chance encounter and the fact that it played out in a rather unexpected way, made Samantha feel more like a human being and less like a human resource.

Samantha, 49