Sadly, this did not shock us, as we have heard too many times “we need someone with experience, who is willing to put in extra hours, but please, no Indians / no Chinese / no Russians / no one from another state / must not be older than 50 / no males / no females…”. The list of discrimination is vast, and sadly, no one is immune to it. Sure, there are certain groups of people who would find it easier to get a job due to race, gender and age; however, they too are not 100% exempt from being discriminated against. For example, one person has communicated to us that her boss only hires attractive young women. Whilst another workplace we know fired every female, leaving it an all-male office.
So how does one overcome this? Well, firstly, you need to question if you even wish to work for someone who has such low ethical standards that would overlook ‘qualification and suitability’ over race, gender, looks and age? We do not live in an ideal world, so of course situations like who you know trumps what you know, and Mr Brown as a name gets the first phone call, not, Mrs Vozenilekishtinanan. However, it is assuring to know that not every person out there is prejudiced by name, race, or religion. And whilst you may wish to change your name on paper (a solution we have found effective for many), it is a personal decision and one we do not feel comfortable to recommend.
