An unemployed Oregon lawyer had a job interview that he thought had gone pretty well. However, he then revealed that he had inadvertently called himself a “predator” after the interviewer asked him what his spirit animal was, possibly tanking his hiring chances.
William Rath shared the results of his interview on TikTok. He is a law school graduate and an attorney who shares his unemployment journey as well as other lifestyle content. This clip in particular stood out, becoming his most viral one in almost a month, garnering 786,000 views, 108,600 likes, and more than 900 comments.
The Oregon lawyer recorded himself right after the interview. He said that, overall, it had gone pretty well. There was, however, one “issue.”
“They asked me what my spirit animal was,” William explained.
Caught off guard, he said his spirit animal was a cheetah. The interviewer asked him why, and he responded, “Because a cheetah is a predator.”
Immediately, William realized what he had said and how it sounded. He had called himself a “predator,” which is arguably not the best noun you can use to describe yourself, especially in a job interview.
He tried to make things better, correcting himself and saying that cheetahs are good at “adapting and finding,” and that they are “stealthy and sneaky.” Combined with the “predator” label, the Oregon lawyer later realized may not have been the best choice of words.
“Other than that, it went well,” he concluded. “[…] Remind me to never say that a cheetah is my spirit animal ever again.”
To Catch A ‘Predator’
William’s cheetah answer sparked many responses.
Playfully, many users began making fun of his answer. One user said, “Yeah, start applying again.” Another one said, “I’d hire ya… after a background check, of course.”
Others believed that the interviewer was in the wrong, with one viewer writing, “That is a ridiculous question.” One user tried to comfort William, saying, “At least they’ll remember you.”
The video is gaining attention for the relatable nature of interview mistakes and how quickly small moments can stand out, triggering an empathetic response that drives more engagement and further momentum. Of course, the hilarity of the Oregon lawyer’s story was likely to make his clip go viral.
In a follow-up clip, William shared that he is currently DoorDash-ing and staying at home, saying he plans to keep a lower profile following the moment.
