Friday, March 13, 2009

Reverse Ageism?

In my line of work, because I am third party, I can kind of practice ageism if say, the hiring manager is 48, I know I can't send someone older than him. It just is WEIRD and unspoken.
I cannot blatantly put on job boards "If you graduated college before 1995, please don't apply" which would make my life EXCEEDINGLY simple.

Point - I put all of the requirements for what I am working on - completely objective stuff such as:
- 2-4 years of medical sales experience, current (TRANSLATION: THIS MEANS NOT YOU ASSHOLE: IF YOU THOUGHT YOU'D GET AN EASY GIG AS A REALTOR AND ARE NOW CLAMBERING BACK INTO THE INDUSTRY. Everyone you KNEW in 2001 has converted to someone else's products so JOG ON! I can't make a fee off you you!)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Documented track record of success, i.e., President's Club, Top 10% ranking in sales force CONSISTENTLY (not when you were selling copiers in 1999, but like, throughout your career which means you are a legit sales rep)

So, there may be a great candidate that applies, but is, oh, 10 years too old for the manager I am working for. I ignore. They keep applying and applying...then they start calling. See, our contact information is NEVER on job postings because our industry is TRULY a "Don't call us, we'll call you" space. Being in such a small shop, I don't have the luxury of taking every single call of a pharmaceutical rep that sees my posting and despite have NONE of the required experience, is "PERFECT FOR THE JOB!" "Get me in front of the hiring manager and I'll make sure you get your fee!" No fuckhead, if I send your resume, which is the exact OPPOSITE of what my client wants, they'll tell ME to jog on, and I'll be out a client because they would think I am incompetent. Which I most certainly would look like. So, I, unlike these people who stalk me, will follow the instructions of the person I am trying to impress (see: CLIENT).
Ahem, NO PHONE CALLS MEANS NO FUCKING PHONE CALLS. How can I expect to represent you if you don't follow one fucking simple request?

Got waaaay off topic there, but seriously. "I'm a candidate, I'm your product, I'm the reason you make money. You should take my call" "No, you're not. For every 100 candidates I speak to a day, I may place, on average, .50 of you, maybe .75 of you."

Here is my point. I can't blatantly say, "Dude, you're too old for this, I'll get in trouble for sending you" and that being that, I have to dance and dodge and say "Wellllll...I know you have everything they are looking for...but you weren't selected for an interview...because...urm...someone had more experience?" Only to place a kid 10 years that candidate's junior, and the candidate knows I am full of shit once they run into them in the field.

Side note: I am full of shit most of the time. I try not to be, but I'm a recruiter. Clients tell me one thing, I go out and pitch the job, find candidate, only to learn 1. job is on hold, 2. whoops! had a completely unqualified internal referral, 3. hmmm now I think I want people with "x" experience as opposed to "y" - please start over, 4. silence from client, 5. the position is paying 50k less.
Let's be fair: I am not intentionally full of shit.

But my point is this:
Our Constitution says, "No person … shall be eligible to the office of president who has not attained to the age of 35."

How the fuck am I supposed to not practice ageism when ageism is a REQUIREMENT to attain the presidency? The most important fucking job in the country (possibly the world, depending on who you speak to) demands that only a certain age is allowed. I wonder what happens at 35 to qualify you. I know that as a woman, that is supposed to be our sexual peak. Perhaps I'd fuck my way to world peace?

Well, only a certain age is allowed to sell my clients' products. And my clients' products are a MUCH smaller deal than being the leader of the free world.

1 comment:

Joe said...

You, sweetheart, are my motherfucking hero.