Getting a job in a field you have been trained is a dream coming true...I am not an exception. I have been studying Civil engineering for all the 4 years and at the end I would love to be a part of a civil company. That's why I appeared for the Larsen &Tubro's test during our campus placement even after getting a software job. I was short listed for the interview and appeared for the interview. Among the 20 short listed students there were only 4 girls. The interviewer seemed to be interested in giving a long interview........about 30 to 45 minutes for each candidate. I was the first girl candidate.. The interview was a cool one for me...full of technical stuff... I enjoyed it really because I answered all the questions for the first time in my life. It went really cool so that I started explaining using figures and all...I said about my interests and my paper presentations also. The interview panel also reciprocated in the same dimension...It took about 30 to 40 minutes...But at the end the interviewer said "madam, you have performed well. But why do you want to join a technical company...It is the software job that suits you more. You don't need to get tired in the sun; you can work in air conditioning." Hearing this I corrected them and explained my attitude about a job...But the interview panel made their point very clear. "Woman cannot go to heights during work. Moreover you will be having a married life with children and all. You cannot concentrate on your work. You won't feel good at that time if you are with a tech job. Girls will not be having much physical strength and all to do the job."
At that point of time I realized that our society is still conservative. It is still holding up its same old mentality towards women. We have changed in every manner, our life styles, dress codes, customs and all have changed except this. The same society will never blame people for not taking care of their old parents; it will just encourage more and more old age homes...The society finds no harm in the growing pub culture. But women should never be equal to men. I know many of us won’t agree to these statements. But believe me it is true. I know there is no point in protesting...but still I cannot stand such stupid beliefs. If I can study civil engineering for 4 years and can earn a degree then what is the point in saying "no technical job for women". Oh, the interviewer had made it clear that there is no discrimination towards women. If it had been due to my technical in capability then, I would have taken it light. But the most ridiculous fact is women themselves don't feel to protest against such discrimination. The other 3 who appeared for the interview didn't feel any discomfort towards their approach..If the company doesn't want women, what do we do.??!!! A typical approach !!!
I took a stubborn decision as not to appear for any more tech jobs. Thanks to the India's largest engineering and construction company. It is very difficult to change the view point of people surrounding you. It doesn't mean that you should change to match others. The mindset is that which needs to be changed....
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4 comments:
hmm... I can't believe they said this after interviewing you for so long. Did anyone ask them why they interviewed girls at all, if they are so much concerned about your family and children? And see how they said.. 'its for your own good' whoa... so concerned about your well being!
May be we need to remind them that even men will have family and children, and men shouldn't care any less about family and children than their female counterparts, so it doesn't matter whom them employ.
really...I also asked the same question to myself...But now I feel sorry for not responding to them at that time..I would have asked them the same question...
anyway ingane enkilum kurachu peer itine patti ariyumalo...angane samaadhaanikkam..
I have a sister and a very dear friend who are working for well reputed technical companies in India and are in fact excelling in their jobs also. There will be people (in this case organisations) who still harbour such outdated beliefs that women are different from men. But if you allow one such experience to discourage you, that shows a lack of confidence in yourself and in an even blunt way, plain stupidity in your part. Feeling indignation on such a treatment is quite understandable, but letting such an incident decide the course of your life is plain stupidity. I just ask you one question... Have you never come across any woman working in a technical company? Maybe I should ask one more question... Have you never thought that if they could achieve this why couldn't I? I would say that rather than brooding over one bad experience, take that as a challenge and go ahead and live your life the way you want!!!!
May be the interviewer was just testing you, how you would respond to questions like that. Really testing whether you are fit for a technical job. Interviewers like people who are "calm and collected" and have a strong viewpoint in whatever they believe in. It can contradict with interviewers interest, but if you have strong belief in yourself, it will be reflected in the interview.
You never know what the intension of an interviewer is.
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