Saturday, February 5, 2011

A Rant & Life Updates

So, saw yet another Craig's List ad by someone seeking a personal assistant that's illegal:

Male Personal Assistant (Manhattan)
Date: 2011-02-05, 12:32PM EST
Reply to: [Errors when replying to ads?]

Female author and screenwriter looking for attractive personal assistant to help with scheduling, phones, and accompanying me to signings and interviews. Hours are flexible. Pay is $20/ hour.

* Location: Manhattan
* Compensation: $20/hour

PostingID: 2198683582

In case you aren't aware, here's why you don't post ads like this if you want business people to take you seriously:

1. Being good at that job has NOTHING to do with one's looks. This is not modeling or acting work; this is running errands, organizing things, being a gatekeeper, etc.

2. If you wanted to sue this person for gender discrimination in hiring, here's your proof. There are also laws against hiring people based on looks like having a weight requirement; just ask people hiring flight attendants & Hooters girls. Stories about lawsuits in those industries on this very issue are well known.

3. The taint of such postings leads me to think someone's going to become a sexual harassment victim. Part of that is b/c that very thing happened to someone I know. That individual got fired for refusing to sleep w/the boss.

4. You might even later get evidence of racial discrimination if you applied & weren't this person's physical type.

5. No competent in-house counsel or any business owner working with a lawyer would EVER allow such ads to be posted on a public website like Craig's List. They would tell these business owners their ads were inappropriate before they ever got posted & remind them that Craig's List does fall under the jurisdiction of state & federal law. At the very least, they'd make damn sure the employer's personal prejudices were not displayed for anyone to just save the ad & use it as evidence in a future lawsuit.

Do these people think labor laws don't apply to Craig's List job postings? Why do you think that you don't see job ads on Monster, Career Builder or any newspaper saying "no blacks" or "Asian applicants only" or "no fat chicks?"

I don't know who in the world puts their picture on a resume or as part of a job application but I think it's a deplorable practice if your looks aren't relevant to the job. It just invites illegal discrimination so if you want to get a job based on your looks, I suggest you try modeling/acting or start working in the adult industry.

Overall, things are looking up. I found out through reliable third party resources that a job I've been trying to pursue for a while is indeed legit. After all the scams & BS I've been through, this is wonderful news. I'm used to people who have no way to hire and/or pay me being impressed w/my skills, work product, what have you but those who could usually rejecting me. In my book, it's because I'm not a moron or a mindless little sheep willing to do anything the employer says no matter how illegal, shady or ethically wrong something might be.

These days, I think my having my own business in a field most people would kill to work in is also a factor. Yes, I'm going to leave my own business where I'm treated with respect to go for YOU & get treated like crap. Hell's also going to freeze over & unicorns will fly out from the top of the Empire State Building. Get a clue!

When you're a lawyer, you can't do that or eventually you'll no longer be a lawyer.

So once things get rolling, it means some life changes I've been waiting on for ages. I'd like to finally earn a real income to start paying off loans + more experience in my field can't hurt.

For the record, I never submit pictures for a job unless it's for modeling or acting. You can meet me in person if you want to consider my looks for a job where they are irrelevant to my ability to perform it.

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