Are you kidding me? Men too can apply for this job? I think I won’t have a chance competing with a man. He was dressed so professional and he probably has a lot of experience. Maybe he knows the interviewer already… As my previous manager always said:
“Everybody knows that you have a different purpose in life and that is not working full-time.”
“Women of your age should be thinking about marriage and kids.”
Maybe he was right… maybe I shouldn’t think about making a career, but more about starting a family…!
No no! I should stop this negative thinking! I am willing to invest in my future and I do want to make a career. Oh no… What if the person I am having an interview with is a guy? He probably thinks I am not good enough. Or what if he wants more from me, because I am a single woman? How can I have a job interview when I am like this? I am a well-educated, motivated young woman, educated in Law! While graduating I thought I could change the world with my degree and that companies were waiting for me to apply!
In the beginning I was really tried hard to fight for my rights in the company. I was working harder than anybody, but always if I had an idea the manager chose the idea of my male colleague. I felt so bad every day I went home. But one day, I really thought it changed. My manager told the whole department that there was going to be a job opening, because one of our colleagues was leaving. I couldn’t wait to apply and write my motivation letter…
When my ex-manager asked me to come inside the room for the interview, I already felt very nervous and my heartbeat was beating faster and faster. He asked me to sit down and we started the job interview. In the beginning I was thinking that I had a possibility to get the job, but after the interview went on it got a very weird direction… He kept asking about my social life, if I already had a fiancé and when I was planning to get married? At some point, the interview got a different direction. He started to look me in the eye for a long time and he came to sit next to me. He told me that he thinks I am very beautiful and touched my leg. When I told him I didn’t really feel comfortable, he got very mad and told me that if I wanted to get this promotion, I should give him some sexual actions. When he was moving his lips and saying this words; ‘sexual actions’ I was completely in shock. Did he just ask me to have sex with him for this promotion? Did I hear this wrong and am I just overreacting? I didn’t know what to say… I left the room with tears in my eyes and never came back to this company again.
Okay… back to reality, wake up! What happened in my previous job shouldn’t affect me so much anymore. I am strong and will fight for my position. Not everybody is the same, not every man is the same. So I’m going for it and try to get this job of my dreams! I still have hope in humanity, I still have hope in men, I still have hope in me.
Written By: Veerle Ross