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Subject:Employers & Personal Information From:Michele Davis <michele -at- krautgrrl -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 17 Jun 2004 15:22:00 -0500
Ned's post got me thinking. Last week I spoke to a recruiter. They were
recruiting for a TWing position, but the TWer had to take meeting
minutes as well. They also stated in the job description that skill was
not important, but getting along with "everyone" you were expected to
play with was. I should have ran for the hills, but I said, "OK, submit
me." The recruiter told me that she has hesitated running some jobs past
me because I used to be too hung up about money. This particular job she
told me was flexible, so I could still take my Spanish classe and French
refresher and needn't worry, so rate didn't bother me.
When I found out my husband's job was moving to India I started applying
for managerial communication roles. Invariably the salary was good, but
noone was OK with the fact that I have been a consultant for 15 years. I
became a consultant because when I was in graduate school I had a job
interview. I was TAing and going to grad school full time. This
interviewer asked me what I was doing besides TAing and graduate school
fulltime, and I said I was writing a novel. She replied, "It must be
nice to have unlimited income to write a novel."
Assumption. I didn't have unlimited income which was why I was applying
for that job.
Now I experience discrimination based on my consultant experience, the
credit cards I own and use frequently (yes, I have been told I am a snob
because of a few credit cards I use), I have also been told a few choice
things about the fact that I don't have debt---for example, "You
shouldn't be applying for this job, you should let others less fortunate
than you apply." Since when was earning a living considered wrong if you
don't have debt? That was why I don't have debt, because I don't spend
beyond my means.
Even a pristine credit report can cause problems. I have given up, by
the way, looking for FT communication jobs. I am going to continue
slogging away at my writing as a consultant. Plus, I hear that wearing
many hats keeps the synapses firing stronger and longer...
Cheers, Michele
--
Michele
"I kissed her goodbye, said all beauty must die..."
Nick Cave & Kate Bush
www.krautgrrl.com
Ned Bedinger wrote:
Even without the 'net, I know that some employers will get my
resume and begin evaluating me with a credit check. I've been
told by recruiters that some employers require the credit check,
and candidates will be dropped if the check reveals so much as an
overdue payment. We all, especially job seekers, need to be
aware and manage our credit records--it is a cinch for anyone to
find information there, and it might affect you in unexpected
ways. If I understand how to get someone else's credit reports
(and it is entirely possible that I don't), one needs little more
than someone's name and address to get their credit history,
social security number (US), names of other family members, etc.
Credit reporting agencies are the hyenas, lurking just outside
the flickering circle of light from our home fires!
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