A job listing on LinkedIn has sparked debate online after a recruiter seemingly copied and pasted the description without editing out the “Keep It Low” rate.

Redditor Scott Hebert (U/OneCoolStory), 27, shared a screen grab of the posting in the r/mildlyinfuriating sub where it quickly gained traction, racking up 24,000 upvotes.

“I have been looking into roles within clinical trials research, and this job popped up, because SAS [Statistical Analysis System] is commonly used in clinical trials data management and analysis,” Hebert, a biostatistician from Massachusetts, told Newsweek.

“When I saw the ‘keep it low’ part, I felt a slight frustration, but I also found it funny while feeling pity for it. While looking into the recruiting company behind it, I noticed they misspelled “mission” as “mision,” which was interesting.”

The listing was for an SAS administrator position in Boston, Massachusetts. SAS is commonly used in the health and finance sectors, due to strict data regulations.

The job description outlined several key responsibilities, including strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, a solid understanding of the change management process, and experience in SAS application upgrade installation and hotfixes.

Luckily, Hebert is already in employment and was only casually perusing rolls, making it easier for him to see the funnier side of the situation.

Expert Insight

Meredith Bowen, founder of Walker Bowen Talent Partners and a veteran recruitment, professional shared her insight with Newsweek.

She noted that while this mistake doesn’t create a great first impression, candidates can still do their own research.

“The recruiter could be overworked or lack attention to detail. If they are overworked, the rest of the company may also be overworked. If it’s a lack of attention to detail, you probably won’t have a very good candidate experience if you do apply. Paying attention to these things can set proper expectations up front,” she explained.

Bowen suggested checking Glassdoor and LinkedIn to assess the company’s reputation, employee tenure, and any recurring issues.

She also pointed out that budgets play a significant role in hiring decisions, and companies often use phrases similar to “keep it low” when discussing salary constraints. However, she advised job seekers to know their market value based on their skills, experience, and regional salary trends.

For those still considering applying, Bowen recommended proceeding with caution. If selected for an interview, candidates should ask about workplace culture, management style, schedules, day-to-day expectations, and employee retention to determine if the job aligns with the company’s actual work environment.

Reddit Reacts

Redditors had strong opinions about the sloppy listing.

“Oh wow. I’m not sure if this is mildly infuriating for you (for his boss of course). It looks like you are very lucky to get this information before signing a contract or even waste time for an interview,” one user commented.

“Not even a range, just keep it low!!” another viewer exclaimed.

“Typical garbage management, too f****** lazy to even come up with a number,” added another frustrated user.

Others shared their own experiences with inattentive recruiters. “I don’t even know how often I’m being contacted by recruiters who don’t even bother to replace their placeholders:

‘Hello [insert name here],

My name is [your name] and I came across your profile Blablabla

You’re sincerely [first name],'” shared another disgruntled job seeker.

Hebert said: “The post gained a lot of popularity, currently having over 2.6 million views. Most responses found it frustrating or funny, but some people said that all companies just want to pay the lowest salaries possible, so it is obvious and not infuriating. I disagreed with the latter group of people—I feel that some companies do invest in their employees and want to pay them what they’re worth.

“Also, like many commenters said, it’s probably a good thing that the mistake in the job posting was made, because the transparency allows potential applicants to just not bother applying in the first place.”

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