Sexism in recruiting?

Parents Forum
1

Much has been written recently about sexism in the workplace, and so I was very interested at what my daughter told me about her first Career Fair experience this week.

She is a sophomore material science engineer with a polymers science minor (although she 45 credits because of summer classes). She targeted and researched basics about companies that indicated an interest in interns who are polymers engineers.

She said she found the company that she thought could be the best fit for her interest, and waited in line for 1/2 hour to talk to the recruiter. When it was her turn, she said she approached the man and said she was an engineering student interested in internships, and that the recruiter responded tersely, “Do you even know what we do?” in an intimidating tone. She said she had research the company and she gave him a 30 -45 second answer, that she had memorized directly from the corporate website. Still the recruiter replied, “Well, not exactly” in a dismissive tone. Then he gave her a long rambling response. She said she smiled and listened attentively.

She said he continued with his lecture until “some guy the recruiter apparently knew” approached. When a man approached (not waiting in line at all). She said the recruiter’s demeanor changed immediately to a suddenly positive tone, and he began to ignore her completely for several minutes, while he chatted with this person. She said she stood there patiently, and that eventually he realized she was still there and he had to do something with her. She said that then, instead of discussing internship possibilities with her, he just agreed to take her resume, but did not offer her his business card. She said he then immediately turned back to the man and went back to chatting, and ignored her until she left.

This may have nothing to do with sexism, he may just be a jerk. However, he was dismissive of her, even when she gave a good answer, and then ver solicitous of the man.

What is troubling to me is that so many incidents like this happen repeatedly. Then the companies claim they don’t have female employees because either the women don’t apply or they just can’t find qualified women.

I mean, sure, when you get treated like that, why would you apply? I am interested in other peoples’ experiences. Is this par for he course these days, or just a bad first experience?

2

I hope it’s just a bad experience. I know my company makes extra efforts to hire a diverse work force (gender, race, etc). I think that brings in different views which makes for a stronger solution for work products.

3

My daughter (Industrial and System Engineering) has similar, bad experiences (over the last 2 years), though I don’t think sexism was the issue as much as poor interpersonal skills on the part of the recruiters. They sometimes have clear “biases” either for someone they already know, or for students from particular schools. Often these recruiters are engineers themselves with little experience in managing or recruiting…

It can be frustrating, especially after doing all of the research and then waiting in line at these career fairs. However, you have to let it go on move on to the next company. We’ve found that for every “bad” experience, she ended up having a good one (even if she didn’t end up with an offer).

On her internship, this summer, she had several mentors (men and women) and didn’t run into any sexism (even though she was working in a major distribution warehouse). Sexism is still a problem, but not one you’re doomed to face on a daily basis.

4

Just wanted to say I’m sorry for her experience. Career fairs are stressful enough without having extra negativity added to them.

5

“However, you have to let it go on move on to the next company.”

I agree. I did not mention the word “sexism” to her. She said he was “a jerk” and she was “a little rattled.” I suggested she forget about it and look for another opportunity, as you suggested. I am sure she will find a summer opportunity eventually, but I did want to hear what others thought. For now, I am just going to assume that this sample of one is an outlier.

Thanks for your insights and experience. It is always easier to assess other people’s situations than your own.

6

Waiting in line, she may have been the umpteenth kiddo who identified as “an engineering student interested in internships,” which might have initially sounded like that’s what interested her, not experience with that particular company or her value.

It’s not much different than applying to colleges.

I’m more sympathetic than that sounds. But in some circumstances, how you lead matters. Good luck to her.

7

@lookingforward “Waiting in line, she may have been the umpteenth kiddo who identified as “an engineering student interested in internships,” which might have initially sounded like that’s what interested her, not experience with that particular company or her value.”

I think that is a good point. I will suggest to her that the next time she might try something like,

“Hi, my name is x, and I am a sophomore engineering student looking for a summer internship. I was researching your company as I prepared for this career fair, and I was especially impressed with y and z. I think Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe could be an excellent fit for me.”

I would demonstrate better knowledge and interest up front, and since she is saying she obtained the information researching the company, hopefully he is less likely to dispute what it says on his own website. lol

Thanks for the suggestion!

8

I would add that if she is looking for a polymers engineering position and thinks these companies want people with her qualifications, she should describe herself as “an engineering student concentrating in polymer engineering” or words to that effect, rather than as just “an engineering student.”

9

@consolation "I would add that if she is looking for a polymers engineering position and thinks these companies want people with her qualifications, she should describe herself as “an engineering student concentrating in polymer engineering” or words to that effect, rather than as just “an engineering student.”

I agree it would be better. She really didn’t need to say “student” either because this career fair was at her college, so all of the attendees were students. I appreciate the pointers and I will help her get that introduction a bit more polished for next time.

Honestly, for 19, I was impressed that she had a resume, was professionally dressed with hair and makeup, had researched which companies indicated an interest in her major, and had done some basic research on those companies. She is a long way out in front of most 19 year olds I know. So, I was kind of surprised at the degree of negativity, even when she gave a good answer.

I think she just got a jerk on the first try. I told her she definitely would not want to work for that guy anyway, and it was their loss. lol (A very parent thing to say).

Still as I listened to what she is telling me, I could not help but smh at what I have been reading about companies repeating this mantra about not having many women because they just can’t find capable women for engineering or CS roles. It seems very strange.

10

One of my kids represented her company at several career fairs. At the time, she was in her second year out of college. She was doing the kind of work that the company was recruiting for. She was not from HR and had no experience in HR. And she had minimal training about what to do at a career fair.

I suspect that the person who talked to your daughter may have been much like my kid: not particularly well prepared to represent the company.

The college probably has an online recruiting system. I think your daughter shouldn’t hesitate to apply for internships at the company in question if any come up in the online system. She could also check the company web site and see if any postings appear for internships at that company and apply that way.

Don’t let an ill-prepared career fair representative discourage her interest in this employer.

11

M2L, not sure I’d suggest noting the internship at the top, at all. Maybe, Hi, I read about DCH’s project on…

I have a friend who’s a national consultant on self presentation and one of her interesting points is how women have speaking styles that can inadvertently diminish them. Eg, she doesn’t really need to announce she’s a soph (!) (It’ll come up later.) Or give the impression she only researched them because they’d be at the fair.

But you’re right, she’d learning. Good!

12

I am impressed by her! :slight_smile:

It’s unfortunate that the company sent a person so poorly suited to be a recruiter and so rude and unprofessional to a job fair. I wonder if they know how he behaves?

13

@lookingforward “I have a friend who’s a national consultant on self presentation and one of her interesting points is how women have speaking styles that can inadvertently diminish them. Eg, she doesn’t really need to announce she’s a soph (!) (It’ll come up later.) Or give the impression she only researched them because they’d be at the fair.”

@marian "She could also check the company web site and see if any postings appear for internships at that company and apply that way.

Don’t let an ill-prepared career fair representative discourage her interest in this employer."

@“Erin’s Dad”
@Gator88NE
@consolation
@bodangles

Thank you everyone. As a parent, you try to say the right thing in front of your kid, but sometimes you then you walk away thinking, “What the heck just happened?!” I really appreciate all of your experience and insights. It really helps me be a better parent.

14

Some men are jerks. Some women are jerks. I can’t say that I’ve noticed one gender being worse than the other. I’ve been an engineer for over 30 years. I can think of only a handful of guys who were sexist. 99% of them have been great to work with.

15

You generally can’t tell whether any one interaction like that is sexism, but unfortunately, women in engineering tend to have more interactions like that than men do. It sucks.

But I think the advice here is good. In looking for jobs, you want to emphasize what you could do for the company and not what the company can do for you. I that sense, it is a little different from applying to schools and scholarships, where you are at least partly showing that you will be able to take advantage of what is offered.

16

Agree with MaineLonghorn in that that competence can do a lot to override sexism. Of course, competence and the right work focus, being results-oriented, can sometimes make us less sensitive to petty things that happen, in the first place.

@Much2learn , keep us posted.

17

I’d chock it up as experience. Evaluate what happened then move on. As she goes through this process and talks to more companies and has some successes she’ll get more confident. I have a ChemE D and have watched this happen. She wanted to co-op and started talking to companies at Industrial Roundtables her freshmen year. The first conversations were kind of timid but she got more confident. In the end she got 5 interviews and 4 job offers for co-ops. She is now a super senior and has just accepted a job for after her May graduation with a major chemical company (not the one she co-oped with). Good luck!

18

Possible also they were looking for juniors or seniors. I really think it is good for the kids to not be too sensitive during these mass meet up type events.

19

Whether the company was looking for sophomores, juniors or seniors, the ‘recruiter’ was rude and a poor reperesentative of the company. I am sure the HR department would be disappointed to know this. I am surprised by this interaction since most recruiters at career fairs are alumni and are happy to talk to students from their alma mater.

My D has been fortunate in that she has been treated very well as a woman since companies are trying hard to diversify. I think these young women will encounter bad behavior along the way. Having success in their careers and developing a sense of confidence minimizes these encounters and makes it easier to shrug off.

Your daughter sounds like she has her act together, especially for a sophomore! Good luck to her.

20

I suggest she talk to someone in the college career center about it. Not on a whining, complaining way but in a “this happened, how could I have handled it differently” way. It would put the incident on the career center’s radar as far as the company goes and might get her some tips on how to handle jerks in the future. Since she is headed into a male dominated industry, I doubt it will be the last experience of that sort that she will encounter. Plus, exposure to the career center never hurts.