There’s an ad on Craigslist for an in-house graphic designer. Among all the regular skills/qualifications on the list, “Handles Rejection” is listed.

It’s the last thing on the list, by the way.

Oh, yeah, also on the list of duties:

Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment.

What the heck happened at this place with the previous designer?

What kind of workplace is this?

I was a graphic designer waaaay back when. But Handling Rejection wasn’t what we called it. Usually it was more like – My eye is drawn to...there, come back with something else; do this or that; I want the product featured (yes!); add a starburst with the price (yay!); or the ever popular...make the logo bigger.

Any graphic designer with five minutes experience knows that they will have to swallow their creative pride once in a while to make something...better. Or just make the client happy. We've all been there. And that's not rejection.

Since I was in the graphic designer mode back in the dark ages, I had to do equipment maintenance. I had to clean and change chemicals in the processor...For the type...That we got from the typesetting machine...And for processing stats...

Oh, you guys have it so easy these days…

Back to the point. The point being that someone in this company felt they had to include ‘Handle Rejection’. Why did they use those words?

Sometimes the job postings are the most telling about company ‘culture’.