Maury dropped by to ask what I think of this.
Maury, thanks for asking for my opinion!
I think this young lady is petulant and entitled. She is dressed inappropriately, demonstrating a lack of maturity and awareness. Yes, sexism is real, but just because the office culture seems to her to consist of a bunch of guys in jeans and Tshirts shouldn’t have any bearing on her own attire and comportment. She blew it by not arriving on time and not dressing appropriately and then she blew it again by kvetching about her experience on social media.
This reminds me that the wonderful Rev. Meg Riley wrote a great piece for job-seeking seminarians (she is the Senior Minister of the Church of The Larger Fellowship and works with many interns every year) that I meant to share here OODLES of months ago! I need to find that post.
Sexism is real, but no one is entitled to employment merely by showing up in an outfit they personally like or prefer. This attitude is going to cost a LOT of special snowflakes great opportunities. Not everything is an oppression. Sometimes it’s just a simple rejection because one is immature and looks it.
Something that stood out to me in the story, someone noted that a job seeker should show up “and act professional.”
I directed UU camps for 13 years (and lived to tell the tale!), and something I learned in a training for camp professionals: We (camp directors) are teaching most of the camp counselors how to behave in a professional way. For many of the counselors, this was their first job.
That really stuck with me. I wonder how many young people aren’t working in high school or even in college, because of pressure to spend every minute studying or doing extra activities that will look good on a college resume. So then they show up to a job interview in college and they may be pretty clueless about what is considered “professional.”
Please do publish the piece Rev. Riley wrote! I’m working with Starr King students in their internship year, and co-lead an In Care Program for people on the path to ministry in southern CA. I’d love to share!
I thought I’d heard ‘most everything from applicants, but the breezy young man who informed me that if he wasn’t on time for his interview, I should call and remind him.
Rev. Meg’s post – was it this one? (guest posted at Raising Faith – I’m not sure if it’s anywhere else.)
http://raisingfaith.net/2015/02/23/goofus-and-gallant-interview-how-tos-for-seminarians/
Agreed, but I still thought *this* was on point.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/04/20/sexism-and-the-rejected-oberlin-student/?postshare=1521429625330388
I feel qualified to comment because I hire in the IT sector.
To me the candidate’s outfit is on the absolute outest edge of what I would consider possible. Colour scheme is OK for me, but the skirt is for sure too short. I would expect to have to fight hard with my more conservative collegues in the hiring meeting to hire a candidate dressed like this – and I would only go to that effort if the candidate was truly stellar. Being late doesn’t count as truly stellar, and really, a run in your tights when you arrive ? Pack a spare pair.
There is also a somewhat unfair thing in industry, where the lower down the pecking order you are – and the younger – the more conservatively you need to dress. Even in a jeans and t-shirt company, even if every person interviewing you is in a hawaian shirt, shorts and bare feet. It doesn’t have to be a suit. It does have to be smart and put together and clean – and probably cover your knees and your shoulders.
gosh – who knew I felt so strongly about this !
[Thank you so much for your valuable perspective! – PB]