Equal Opportunity My Ass.
(First Published on BMEzine.com, Winter, 2003)

Lets role play here. You're a manager. You've been given the task to hire people to work in your store. You have a stack of resumes and applications on your desk, and you go through them one by one. Some you toss aside as they're not who you're looking for, others you put into a "maybe" pile, and there's a select few that you put into your "must call within the next 10 minutes!" pile. You've picked these resumes out because they have all the necessary experience that you are looking for, and have lots of skills that you need, or that are assets you wouldn't mind having on your work force. Many of them even share similar interests as yours such as outdoor activities, or personal website building, something you can talk about.

As you call each applicant, some of them sound different from the resumes, they're not as sure of themselves or what they wrote, they get written off because they obviously "fudged" their resumes somehow, but others are pleasant to talk to, give you further details over the phone, you're already thinking in your mind "Hey, this person would really work well with me" and get some references to call in a few days, and they are provided.

You call the references; each and every single co-worker or former boss gives glowing recommendations, some even stating that they wish your applicant didn't leave their business because they were hard working and a good team player. This soon-to-be employee sounds like a DREAM to have! You call eagerly for an in-person interview, thinking they already have the job in the bag.

They come into the interview dressed in a dress shirt, dress pants, nicely shined shoes, with their hair combed neatly, smelling of fresh soap, shampoo and deodorant. You look up and they greet you with a smile "Hi. My name's Jim, it's nice to finally meet you" while extending their hand. At this point you notice the "little things." The 14g eyebrow bar, the labret stud, and something peeking out of the cuff of the shirt, perhaps a small inner-wrist tattoo? Immediately you shrink back, no longer interested, even though for the past two weeks you've been tripping over yourself to get the references called and the interview in check.

In short, "Jim" doesn't get the job, because of a few pieces of metal and maybe some ink that is just barely visible if you look closely enough.

This happens all too often, WAY too often if you ask me. Many qualified people, many even OVERLY qualified people are getting passed up for jobs in any industry, because of the way they choose to live their lives and decorate their bodies. Where it technically doesn't matter. A person working in a corporate office job shouldn't need to fear their facial piercings or visible tattoos, they work in an office, probably working nose to the grindstone so hard they never see anyone but their co-workers anyways. Anyone working customer service are there to help customers, find products, answer questions, a bit of colourful ink doesn't detract them from their job.

Please tell me how me having a 12g hole in my lip will make me better at doing my job than a 12g piece of jewelry. Because the hole will stay, and in more cases is probably even more unsanitary since there's nothing blocking up this hole. Because I just don't understand how this works. If I have one or two pieces of metal in my face, I'm suddenly unapproachable for questioning? Previous customers I've dealt with certainly don't think so, many have commented to my managers saying what a good help I was, and how I was understanding and patient with their needs. So what's changed now that I'm looking for a new job?

To interject a bit of personal information, around the beginning of September 2002 I began to hunt for a part time job to offset some of the costs of going to university full time. I circulated approximately 10-15 resumes. I received some "on-the-spot interviews" that I believe went well. Within hours I had 2 job interviews lined up. By the end of the week, nearly everyone who I handed a resume to had called for an interview. Of these interviews, I would estimate about 60% called back for a second interview, and a list of references. No one so far had ever mentioned my 4 earrings (0g earlobe and 12g helix in each ear) or my labret post (with a 3mm ball, equal to about 6g, it's tiny) or even my 10g venoms that I'm sure many saw because when I lose my place I always stick my tongue out to relax a bit. I'm already hiding my 8g septum with the retainer flipped up so everyone who's met me was meeting me with less than I have.

I had my list of second interviews, and calling back, usually many times. These companies began to take longer to reply to me, saying they haven't made decisions yet, or this excuse or that excuse, the same ones I'm sure many people have heard many times. I had one call back for a third interview. And on this interview, I was told the labret would have to go if I wanted to work with them. Why the first or second managers I talked to didn't tell me, is beyond me, because I'd wasted at least half an hour with this company so far, not to mention the time to drive down and wait around while they were late for every interview. I thank them politely as I walk out wishing I could have given them the finger as they see the back of my head for the last time.

Even worse is probably the stores where I've blatantly asked "Do you have any problems with my facial piercings?" when they tell me "No, I consider the person doing the job, it doesn't matter how they look" (especially since I have varying friends who also work there that also have "abnormal piercings." But they got them done after they started working; I was being interviewed with them in. I didn't get called back at all from any of these places.

As I fear a libel or slander law-suit if I print the names of these companies out for the public while stating they have extremely horrible codes and standards, I will say that for companies that pride themselves in "Equal-opportunity hiring" obviously don't live up to their own standards. How is it equal opportunity if there is some of the smallest jewelry being worn? I see people with big thick gold rope chains working, is that not also distracting? Or wearing 8 or 10 rings on the fingers of someone's hands? Or what about wearing layer upon layer of makeup? They fall under being accepted under "equal-opportunity" yet someone who has a few facial piercings, and maybe some ink that *may* be seen under certain circumstances does not?

Equal opportunity my ass.

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