Job Hunting Without Congress (and Other Appendages)

by Rosemari

In August, I graduated with my Masters from American University.  Like most of my fellow graduates, I hit the pavement, trying to find a paying position between pulling espresso shots and my dream job.  Along the way, I got bundles of advice from all kinds of great, helpful people.  Some of it I knew (networking is important; don’t have typos on your cover letter or resume).   Some of it was new (you will be judged based on your social media presence; your personal references can be held against you). And some of it was, for lil’ ol’ me, somewhat shocking to hear in 2011. Here are a few “gems:”

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1.     “Do you have any advice on people I might want to reach out to?” – me to a director of a large government agency in an informational interview

“If your parents know members of Congress, you should call them now.” – Director of aforementioned government agency

This advice exemplifies nepotism at its best.  When I walked into his office, I had already proved myself with two months of quality work.  But after this comment, I knew that no matter how hard I worked or how much I deserved a position, it wasn’t going to be enough to land me a full-time jig (at least not in his mind).  While it was an extremely condescending moment for me, I also knew it was, in part, the truth.

2.     “Should I apply to this department?”  – me  to a very helpful manager in a large government agency

“Yes, but you won’t get in. And if you do, they will never promote you or let you try anything new.  You are a woman and it’s still an old boys club.” – Very helpful manager in a large government agency

Old boys club? Huh? In 2011?

While I hate this advice, it came from one of my biggest cheerleaders, who tried every trick in the book to make sure I was gainfully employed.  I knew that it was well intentioned – the last thing she wanted was for me not to reach my potential because of a silly thing like gender.  It made me wonder how many of my applications were overlooked because of my gender.  And whether or not I wanted to spend my professional life breaking through glass ceilings.

3.     “This position about international family planning looks awesome.  What do you think of the organization?” – Me to an international family planning consultant

“[The organization] is only good if you have a penis.” – International family planning consultant

Errr... Well, I guess won’t waste my time spell checking that cover letter.  Once again, even if I landed a position in an organization like that, I knew it would be an uphill battle.  And I also knew that thanks to decades of work done before me, I was privileged to encounter this response a handful of times.  But, in my opinion, a handful is still too many.

Luckily, I am extremely fortunate to find gainful employment that I love, with a little help from Facebook, a former classmate, and a great organization willing to take a chance on me.  But I wonder how discrimination plays either for or against job hunters every day – and whether or not people are typically so forthcoming in saying it out loud.