Discrimination Is Alive & Well..… Isn't It?

[aidan80 9]

I applied for a job sometime ago, I applied online and got confirmation then by mail a number of days later, and I called the employer a number of times and got only a voice mail. The very same job that I’m more than qualified for and have years of experience in has been posted online again at the start of this week.

I started a new job on Monday at the very same place I was interviewed for an IT job a few weeks back and met one of the people that beat me to the job; the person was attempting to setup my workstation. Everyone in that office knew this guy (big office and company), like he’d been there for years and years.

This is a bit of a long drawn out rant…

He starts my workstation using a local account and discovers there’s a problem with the NIC, so it gets uninstalled, reinstalled.. restarted a few times then he replaces the entire NIC saying that the port is “fried”. I’m thinking, replace the stupid patch cable. I’m also thinking the NIC can’t be fried it’s protected at various points not only by UPS, Surge Suppressors not to mention the many capacitors inside the PSU.. lets not forget its part of an IC if it was fried it’d take out at least a few other items with it I’d imagine. Takes the guy an hour and 15 minutes to discover that he needs to replace the cable!

Aside from watching the “tech” make every mistake in the book right in front of me, I also get to listen to a co worker complain about the foreigners . What is she stupid or something, am I not right there? I talk to another co worker who tells me they’ve been looking for a job and has had responses to everything they applied for so far. I’ve been ignored for almost everything apart from this job…

It could be worse, least I have a job now even if it is entry level office work. I've something to move on from over here.. I’m still very annoyed at being ignored time and time again for jobs I’m more than able to do.

[Anastassia 0]

aidan80 I am with you.

I wonder why you didn't show the guy what he needs to do...

I can bet that if it was me I would show him what needs to be done and make a comment "I wonder why I was turned down for your position when I applied".

Someone might call it rude but I could not help myself..

[alix 20]

I'm sorry to hear about people's rudeness towards you. Talking badly about foreigners in front of one can mean one of two things: either they don't consider you one or they are extremely rude!!! I guess it's hard to start working in a new country, and I'm sure you'll be able to find something much better very soon. Or even get promoted, showing them you are more capable then they could ever dream of!! Don't let them get to you and don't loose your confidence.

I know this is probably a bit out of context but once I was turned down from a job because my "Portuguese" wasn't native, which was a very stupid thing to say. She could have said that they were only looking for Portuguese speakers from Portugal, not Portuguese speakers from Brazil (like me!)!!! It is like saying that someone from Australia or Ireland doesn't speak English!!!!

[sercontigo 1]

I have actually overheard Americans at my job downing foreigners. Especially illegals...but hey, I understand that. Its really bad sometimes because Atlanta is a racial metropolis. I mean I can drive or walk miles and not see a Black American or White American. But personally, I could care less...people are people. I wish it didn't happen, but this world is not perfect. People get threatened by change and more competition, I guess. I don't know...I just know I am adding one more LEGAL foreigner to Atlanta in a few months.

I have actually overheard Americans at my job downing foreigners. Especially illegals...but hey, I understand that. Its really bad sometimes because Atlanta is a racial metropolis. I mean I can drive or walk miles and not see a Black American or White American. But personally, I could care less...people are people. I wish it didn't happen, but this world is not perfect. People get threatened by change and more competition, I guess. I don't know...I just know I am adding one more LEGAL foreigner to Atlanta in a few months.

I forgot to add that I am a black american woman, with red hair, who speaks spanish fluently, is engaged to an African and the mother of a 1/2 German daughter. (I was married to a German-American for 8 yrs).

[Mary Lou 676]

Hi Aidan,

Isn't it just amazing how ignorant people can be?!?!?!?!? Im sorry you had to be subjected to that at your new job. Keep your chin up and show them how capable you are to be working there!

[aidan80 9]

aidan80 I am with you.

I wonder why you didn't show the guy what he needs to do...

I can bet that if it was me I would show him what needs to be done and make a comment "I wonder why I was turned down for your position when I applied".

Someone might call it rude but I could not help myself..

That guy is getting close to if not more than $16.00 per hour; he’s making more than me. Although I’d love to have said what to do.. why should I? it isn’t my job. I just hate the idea that I interviewed for the post and possibly should have gotten it but didn’t due to favoritism or because someone thought.. ohh a foreigner they might “go home”.. without even knowing how hard it is just to get a green card to start with!

I'm sorry to hear about people's rudeness towards you. Talking badly about foreigners in front of one can mean one of two things: either they don't consider you one or they are extremely rude!!! I guess it's hard to start working in a new country, and I'm sure you'll be able to find something much better very soon. Or even get promoted, showing them you are more capable then they could ever dream of!! Don't let them get to you and don't loose your confidence.

I know this is probably a bit out of context but once I was turned down from a job because my "Portuguese" wasn't native, which was a very stupid thing to say. She could have said that they were only looking for Portuguese speakers from Portugal, not Portuguese speakers from Brazil (like me!)!!! It is like saying that someone from Australia or Ireland doesn't speak English!!!!

Sad thing is.. I don’t think it was directly aimed at me... I think most people here seem to consider foreigners to be Mexicans. They don’t seem to associate me with these “foreigners” they speak of. Idiots all of them who even attempt to think like that. It’s almost impossible to fight the urge to say something.

[Garfield fan 0]

Nepotism and discrimination are everywhere. I consider myself quite lucky in my job right now, but I've also seen incompetent people get hired for something that they know nothing about and they end up putting more burdens for the rest of the team. I've seen this happens here and back home.

I would not help the guy either if I were you, if they think he's capable to do his job, let him do it. Besides, he might take all the credits if you help him. And next time your co-workers comment about "foreigner", tell them that you are one and see what they say... LOL !

[rebeccajo 14]

Aidan, I've been looking for a better job since February.

Somebody pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago that one reason I keep getting passed over ..... my AGE (49).

It's everywhere......

Edited November 17, 2006 by rebeccajo

[aidan80 9]

Nepotism and discrimination are everywhere. I consider myself quite lucky in my job right now, but I've also seen incompetent people get hired for something that they know nothing about and they end up putting more burdens for the rest of the team. I've seen this happens here and back home.

I would not help the guy either if I were you, if they think he's capable to do his job, let him do it. Besides, he might take all the credits if you help him. And next time your co-workers comment about "foreigner", tell them that you are one and see what they say... LOL !

I’m sure if I had helped he’d been outta there in 10 minutes and remembering exactly what I had learnt though day to day experience over the past 5+ years on the job.

Aidan, I've been looking for a better job since February.

Somebody pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago that one reason I keep getting passed over ..... my AGE (49).

It's everywhere......

Don’t get me wrong the job itself isn’t bad at all. It’s latterly 2 minutes away, decent enough pay and they aren’t exactly slave drivers. Just I’m not too fond of some of the people..

I could well believe it; I’m beyond fed up with how much I’ve been ignored for jobs. I’m really lucky that I got this one at least it’s a start!

[I'm Gone 60]

Well if the person that got the job you think you should have got is that bad at doing the job, hopefully he won't be in the job that long.

[SoL. 0]

I just think that sometimes when people make those kind of comments about foreigners is because they are ignorant or might fear competition because some of us speak more languages than they do. It's really sad but I have been in situations on where people make fun of my "funky" accent.

Another thing I have experienced is when I speak on my native language with a co worker they get itchy and say "Are you talking about me??

[zauberblume 0]

In an American context, foreigner is often conflated with Mexican. Of course, that is dumb.

My husband has had a relatively positive transition. He's a software developer. He posted his resume on dice.com and got lots of offers. (I'm mentioning that in case you didn't know about that website for people in the IT industry.) He went on his first interview and actually got that job. It pays really well. One of his co-workers is from Denmark, but for the most part, it's an small American business.

My point is... Perhaps it's your area, too. We don't live in a big city, but we live in a rather liberal area in Massachusetts. People actually appreciate diversity here. But a few times you'll run into people who like to express their idiotic thoughts. Either way, they are usually shushed up.

Good luck!

(P.S. This "foreigner problem" is rampant in Britain and Germany, to name a few places that I've been to. It's not an American problem. It affects other nations as well. Those citizens don't want to see their country "change" culturally, racially, or ethnically.)

[donsarge 0]

Also my very mad friends from other countries!!!!!!

America is famous for hiring the guy that is well liked not well versed or experienced

office politics suks!!

The secret to america is work for a company for a while then start your own!

Having crisscrossed the globe..It is my oppinion that the usa is the best place to make money

while every other country is the best place to have money and live.

Screw $16hr i guarantee you that the average hotdog vendor in NEwYork makes 10 to 15 times that in 1hr

Good luck and remember a 700 credit score can make you millions

don

[trailmix 77]

I agree that it seems to be certain areas.

My Brother in Law (a Canadian working on a NAFTA visa) actually gets a hard time - and not in jest - from his fellow idiotic co-workers as he is taking a job from an American. Never mind that there is TRULY a shortage in his profession where he lives (Nebraska) - in fact he is currently the only driller at that branch (because they have a hard time keeping people - surprise with attitudes like that) - he should have his EAD in about 2 months and then they won't have to worry about him working there anymore.

[Lyuba 0]

I have master's degree and tons of experience but I couldn't find a job even being a secretary when we lived back in Kansas City. It was so discouraging. I even applied to work as an ESL aide at school district (they pay nothing and the shortage is people is huge. I speak 3 foreign languages and taught college back home). I actually went there and applied in person, passed all their tests with stellar results and never heard back.

My husband got so angry that he called them and actually asked what was going on. You know, after his call I got interview next day and the job the same evening. They called me for an interview because my husband is an American and he vouched for me. They wouldn't call me otherwise and they were desperate for people.

I think this situation is true in smaller cities, when we moved to St. Louis I didn't have hard time finding a good job. St. Louis is bigger and more cosmopolitan so being a foreigner isn't a bad thing here.

I am sure people don't have much trouble finding jobs in DC or New-York.