the American workplace
perhaps a better title might be "the American workplace...and other ramblings," because what follows is a little...convoluted
So I have started job hunting because I will be finished with my degree this summer, and I will need a job, because I am poor. I have even interviewed for a couple of jobs already. Let me elaborate on one particular interview. Picture it: you walk into a mid-size office. It is cubicle-less, and instead desks are haphazardly grouped in the room. There are several middle-aged men talking, and when you enter the room, they look at you--even make eye contact--but don't smile, and lower their voices. You (and by you here, I mean me) immediately feel concerned about the lack of women in this office, and the old boys club that, so far, is uninspiring in warmth. Finally you see a woman....she's the secretary. Finally you see another woman....she's the HR rep.
OK, I'm wandering here, but surely you see what I'm getting at here. I was interviewing for--actually, at that point I didn't know what position I was interviewing for. I had been invited for a general interview. It turned out I was being interviewed for an entry-level geologist for the Environmental division.
So, then you talk to the HR rep, who is very nice and tells you about all the benefits at this company. And she says that this company cares about your well-being, and your family's well-being, so they offer two weeks vacation.
At this point you (or at least, I did and still do) want to laugh. Two weeks vacation? That's pretty much standard nowadays. They care about the health and well-being of me and my family? Why not offer three weeks vacation? Why not offer a job that only requires 35 hours a week in the office? Why not offer a health plan that benefits the women equally to the men?
Two weeks vacation? Who-hoo! Where can I sign up? I just can't wait to get on board with these old men who don't know how to smile.
THEN I interview. The person who was supposed to interview me was the president of the company. However, something came up and he was not able to interview me. Instead I am interviewed by a division manager--an old man who slouches, doesn't make eye contact, doesn't smile, and doesn't have any questions to ask me. Based on him, I pretty much knew I wasn't going to get hired. How could I? I did the best I could, but if you smile and try to make eye contact with someone who slouches and doesn't make eye contact, you pretty much feel like you're having a bad interview. Based on his interviewing skills, he should have been fired.
Blargh. Anyway, mostly I just wanted to complain about this crappy interview. But I think it's stupid how Americans are such workaholics--I mean, we are expected to be workaholics. I have a friend who is an accountant and working towards being a Partner in her firm. She told me that you can generally make Partner in about ten years. However, if you are a woman and get pregnant during that time--and have to take time off, because for god's sake, you've got to at least be at the hospital for the labor!--then you add approximately two years onto that ten. Two years for at most 3 months of time taken off?
And beyond that, are people really supposed to be expected to sacrifice their lives for their jobs? It's just a job, after all. Even if it's a job you like or love to do, it's still only a job--there are other things in your life too. Friends, family, hobbies, trips, and even the simple things like watching movies. I have too many other interests to only give my life to one of those interests. I mean, I'm a writer, and that means that I should be giving the majority of my attention to my writing, as that is my "career," and I still can't manage to devote 40 hours a week to it because I have too many other things I want to do with my time.
So I have started job hunting because I will be finished with my degree this summer, and I will need a job, because I am poor. I have even interviewed for a couple of jobs already. Let me elaborate on one particular interview. Picture it: you walk into a mid-size office. It is cubicle-less, and instead desks are haphazardly grouped in the room. There are several middle-aged men talking, and when you enter the room, they look at you--even make eye contact--but don't smile, and lower their voices. You (and by you here, I mean me) immediately feel concerned about the lack of women in this office, and the old boys club that, so far, is uninspiring in warmth. Finally you see a woman....she's the secretary. Finally you see another woman....she's the HR rep.
OK, I'm wandering here, but surely you see what I'm getting at here. I was interviewing for--actually, at that point I didn't know what position I was interviewing for. I had been invited for a general interview. It turned out I was being interviewed for an entry-level geologist for the Environmental division.
So, then you talk to the HR rep, who is very nice and tells you about all the benefits at this company. And she says that this company cares about your well-being, and your family's well-being, so they offer two weeks vacation.
At this point you (or at least, I did and still do) want to laugh. Two weeks vacation? That's pretty much standard nowadays. They care about the health and well-being of me and my family? Why not offer three weeks vacation? Why not offer a job that only requires 35 hours a week in the office? Why not offer a health plan that benefits the women equally to the men?
Two weeks vacation? Who-hoo! Where can I sign up? I just can't wait to get on board with these old men who don't know how to smile.
THEN I interview. The person who was supposed to interview me was the president of the company. However, something came up and he was not able to interview me. Instead I am interviewed by a division manager--an old man who slouches, doesn't make eye contact, doesn't smile, and doesn't have any questions to ask me. Based on him, I pretty much knew I wasn't going to get hired. How could I? I did the best I could, but if you smile and try to make eye contact with someone who slouches and doesn't make eye contact, you pretty much feel like you're having a bad interview. Based on his interviewing skills, he should have been fired.
Blargh. Anyway, mostly I just wanted to complain about this crappy interview. But I think it's stupid how Americans are such workaholics--I mean, we are expected to be workaholics. I have a friend who is an accountant and working towards being a Partner in her firm. She told me that you can generally make Partner in about ten years. However, if you are a woman and get pregnant during that time--and have to take time off, because for god's sake, you've got to at least be at the hospital for the labor!--then you add approximately two years onto that ten. Two years for at most 3 months of time taken off?
And beyond that, are people really supposed to be expected to sacrifice their lives for their jobs? It's just a job, after all. Even if it's a job you like or love to do, it's still only a job--there are other things in your life too. Friends, family, hobbies, trips, and even the simple things like watching movies. I have too many other interests to only give my life to one of those interests. I mean, I'm a writer, and that means that I should be giving the majority of my attention to my writing, as that is my "career," and I still can't manage to devote 40 hours a week to it because I have too many other things I want to do with my time.
posted by Christy at 12:10 AM
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