Thursday, December 3, 2009

Age Does Matter...EEOC Makes Sure Of It

You know, as a Business major with a Masters in Human Resources, I am very familiar with EEOC regulations and laws, but it is how these get used that truly surprises me. I do not care what people say, I am telling you, for your own sake, if you want to at least get an interview, don't fill out the form.

In the last two years, I have probably turned in over 150 resumes, job applications and EEOC forms and after awhile, I began to wonder if I was being discriminated against due to my age and gender (female over 40) and why are they allowed to ask those questions anyway? There are an apparent way to discreetly discriminate though HR professionals will tell you that isn't true.

Isn't it? I have put in jobs with the same company over and over again in different areas and never once got a call for an interview. However, the minute I didn't fill out the EEOC form, BINGO, I get interviews, but then, I get passed over and when I have gone back to check who got the position, it is always a younger person.

It happens! Don't tell me it doesn't! I am not the only one. A friend of mine is driving 3 hours a day to work because she can't find a local job. She works commercial real estate and is very well versed in the regulations, etc. . Recently our local port was looking to hire someone, she told me she had a very long and great interview and in the end, they hired a young person with no real estate experience at all.

While I am at it, what is up with wasting so many peoples time with interviews? If you have a great candidate in house and you post the job in house and several people apply in house, hire one, do not post the job externally knowing you are hiring from in-house to begin with. It isn't fair to those of us that are seriously looking for work and need jobs.

There is no federal rule to my knowledge that says you even have to post a job externally. While there may be union or company policy, my opinion is that deep down a company knows who they want in the position and they are going to hire that person, no matter how great my application is, no matter how nice my resume is or how glowing my references are. A company doesn't care!

What bothers me the most is when I can't get an interview and the person hired washes out quickly, steals from the company or gets fired for not showing up to work. Then I apply again and I still don't get a call. I am confused!

Here is the thing...if I put my Bachelors and Masters down and you are looking for someone with an Associates degree, I am over qualified. If I don't put it down and list only my Associates and later you find out about the others, I am lying. I can't win for loosing!

I can't do fast food anymore, I can't bend over to tie my own shoes, so a job with lots of bending won't work out for me. I can't lift over 10 pounds. But I can type 55 WPM, I can answer the phone with intelligence and professionalsim, I can multi-task and I don't mean talking and texting at the same time.

Anyone else out there over 40 feel the same way I do?

I saved police officers lives, I saved a man from killing himself, I comforted scared children and domestic violence victims, I trained adults for a living and I can't find a job and I am letting my entire family down and my husband.

How do you look at your kids and grandkids and tell them you can't find work, so you have to go far away for awhile?

I am lost!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Amen to all of what you have written. I am also over 40 and retrained when I was 40 to get out of doing accounts work. I have a degree and a diploma in Architectural design and am currently employed by great bosses but I am running and setting up the offfice systems for them. Not the design work I really want to be doing.

Quiltingranny said...

Thanks Jeannette. It sounds like you have wonderful bosses and a great employer. My comments are towards those companies that bring people in knowing they have their candidate in house already. It isn't just me, it is many people I have talked to over the age of 40!

karen said...

Jean, been there.. done all that, too.. One thing I learned, my integrity AND YOURS, will be known in the Kings Presence, because of our willingness to look for work, wanting to work, and yes, even needing to work at times.. The Lord will see our dedication to being servants , whether its in the church or outside work. He will see us busting our butts on the pavement, to bring Honor to Him, and to our families.. He will not see us sitting on our little flat derieeres, texting our little younger generational friends, because our fingers are too tired to type on a typewriter, or keyboard. He will see us, standing up and saying " I am willing" , instead of " Hey, Look at me, I am pretty and young! "...
So, sis.. Just know that you are again covered in my prayers for work and for peace AND you are covered in His Grace as He provides all that you need, according to the Riches of His Plan for your family.. I love you sis, because you are " real people"...

Anonymous said...

Hello RannyJean, you want to try applying for a job when you are in your mid fifties.....Warm Regards Lyn

Quiltingranny said...

BBL, I am in my mid-fifties and that is why I am so frustrated. I can't even get WalMart to hire me as a greeter!