I applied for a summer server position at my local IHOP while home from college, submitting over 50 applications in total. I didn’t mention my student status on the application to improve my chances. When I called to set up an interview, the manager scheduled me for 1:30 PM the next day. I arrived on time, and the host was friendly, but then the manager got sidetracked by a surprise health inspection. Instead of rescheduling, she left me waiting in a booth for an hour and fifteen minutes. After that long wait, we finally started the interview, but the manager seemed confused about my work history despite me clearly stating my previous experience as a server. To my shock, she then informed me that I would need to go through a second interview with the regional manager, which required driving to two different cities. I felt completely disrespected after wasting so much time for a server position at IHOP, so I walked out. I’ve never felt more undervalued in a job search.