January 11, 2006
What would you do?
I just had my first job interview since returning home.
It was with an organization that provides in home care for people with disabilities. I met with the owner of the company and her office assistant. The owner was a very nice woman who has been an RN for about 30 years. She is an SF native and we talked for about 2 hours about nursing, hospice, healthcare, spirituality, and San Francisco. It seemed like more of a visit than an interview.
I really like her. We connected in a very…comfortable way.
She offered me a job (provided my background stuff checks out).
Then her office assistant told me I would need to take out my nose ring. She also made several disparaging comments on my hair.
She went on about how, the company has many older patients and we needed to respect them by living by their “professional” standards. I just stood their dumbfounded.
The whole conversation left a real bad taste in my mouth.
I am not sure I’m willing to take out my nose ring. I lived without it for several years in order to better fit into a corporate environment. I hated it. I really like the way my face looks with my nose ring and I recognize myself in a mirror when I see it. It is a big part of how I see myself.
Do I pass this gig up because of it?
Do I compromise and remove the ring or maybe get a small stud or something?
How am I going to handle this?
It is the first offer I have gotten… there could be others.
What would you do?
I work in a hospice and have worked homecare gigs. I have worked with people with various jewelery on their faces. If you get an offer speak with the owner and tell her how you feel. Let her tell you what she thinks. Don't let 'number two' get in the way.
How professional looking do you have to be to do this work? If you wear clean scrubs and are clean and well groomed that should be sufficent. Anyway most of your patients will be too sick to give a damn. Sick people are very open minded. Their main concern is feeling better and not how you look.
But I don't live in your area. You may have to consider changing your style if you continue to get problems over this. My guess is you won't get them from everyone.
soifua
kalapu