Is this wrong?

[Squirrel]

Been filling out a lot of applications/resumes lately, and several places when filling out your profile ask to describe yourself in X amount of words... Backtracking, by looking at my name, its kinda apparent im a white male, thus besides my education and skills nothing separates me from the other 500 white males applying for the same position, and being a recent graduate from a state school im damn near the bottom... All these companies are Equal Opportunity Employers, which if anyone has any common sense knows thats complete ********, the reason why i know this?... ive written some of those equations for those "optional surveys", theyre very similar to the point system colleges use to pick candidates, if youre a latin female who served in the military you might as well just send an email to HR saying 'gimme a yob'... Getting back to my original question, would me putting down "being a minority through my public school years was tough" (which is 100% true) or some similar crap like that make me an *******?.. Im lookin for anything to better my chances at this moment

[band77one]

if you were actually a minority in your school hell no its not wrong, its the truth isn't it ?

[Frosty]

I'd say that you're a gay black midget that has to use a wheelchair...instant CEO :rofl:

[Knipps]

I have Australian citizenship so I was considering putting "South Pacific Islander" on my college apps :lol:

Honestly, you need to separate yourself from the crowd somehow...

[BigAls87Z28]

I know we told Jake to put down "African American" on his apps.

[Tsar]

You're a minority, you're not overweight...

[madness410]

I'd say that you're a gay black midget that has to use a wheelchair...instant CEO :rofl:

not funny bro my uncle is a gay black midget that uses a wheelchair..
















...jk haha

[BonzoHansen]

.. Getting back to my original question, would me putting down "being a minority through my public school years was tough" (which is 100% true) or some similar crap like that make me an *******?.. Im lookin for anything to better my chances at this moment

Well, it would make you a liar. The professional world is funny in how you run into people 10+ years later you never thought you'd see again. As the saying goes, it's a small world.

[Squirrel]

How so?, whites are a minority in the ewing public school system, which is what im referring to

[BonzoHansen]

No one in the professional world would buy that.

[Squirrel]

No one in the professional world would buy that.

how is it different than being a white guy from philly or trenton?... when considering minority/majority you dont consider the whole population of the united states, you compare it to what youre relative to

[Masonite]

As per dictionary.com:
Minority
1. the smaller part or number; a number, part, or amount forming less than half of the whole.
2. a smaller party or group opposed to a majority, as in voting or other action.
3. a group differing, esp. in race, religion, or ethnic background, from the majority of a population: legislation aimed at providing equal rights for minorities.
4. a member of such a group.
5. the state or period of being under the legal age of full responsibility

Referring mainly to the "majority of A population", notice it does not say "THE population", so with you stating that you are a minority in the population of your school, you are 100% right on.
The buzzkill, though, is that (and I may be wrong about this) most applications refer to a minority as someone in a smaller racial group in relation to its country.

Personally, I just leave the race and religion parts blank. I don't want to be seen as "oh, just another white guy" in a stack of papers before reading into my resumé.

[NastyEllEssWon]

i was a minority in my neighborhood all through my young years, but the problem with putting that on a professional application is very misleading. either way, like scott said, youll be surprised how many threads weave their way into each other....its the same with burning bridges....you might have to cross them again later:nod:

[Savage_Messiah]

I'm gonna sum up what everyone's been saying, really simple...




would me putting down "being a minority through my public school years was tough" (which is 100% true) or some similar crap like that make me an *******?

yes

[jts98z28]

everyone has their own opinion on this i personally dont think its wrong at all you might as well try it what do you have to lose?

[Frosty]

Are you white? Yes? Then you're not a minority, period.

[Savage_Messiah]

Even if you're correct by saying it, all it takes is the potential employer to take one look and say "this kid's an ass" and it doesn't matter how right you are. Of course there's the flip side, where if you find someone who appreciates what you're saying, then you've probably got an awesome place to work right there.

[Squirrel]

wow...intelligent convo, good job njfboa
back to topic:

Everyone is making good points and like kasey just said, people can either see it as 'acting out as a repressed white person' or 'i appreciate that this kid has balls'... and as anyone knows me whatsoever knows im not one to put my hand over my mouth on my opinion haha

what about using the term 'white minority'?

[Frosty]

I think you're toeing a dangerous line, while I can fully understand where you're coming from in Corporate America you'd be viewed as a whiny *******...just my opinion. Not saying you ARE whiny but you're already bringing up a race issue before even being interviewed/hired. I know that if I was interviewing you it'd look bad(regardless if I agreed with you or not).

You do bring up an interesting argument but the way the world works is...you're white, not a minority. To try to justify something otherwise might look bad.

[NastyEllEssWon]

everyone has their own opinion on this i personally dont think its wrong at all you might as well try it what do you have to lose?


Say you walk into an interview. Jack Johnson is waiting for his 10 am interview to come in. He's reviewing the paperwork to make sure he gets the name right, the qualifications right and even maybe prepares a few questions just for you based upon your ''tough minority upbringing.'' Then you come walking in and BAM....interview is already over in his head before you shook hands/exchange pleasantries for being misleading (not a quality jobs look for).


Professional corporate america is a very tight knit and diverse crowd. Now, Jack Johnsons works for Company A. John Jackson work for Company B. They intermingle, have a few drinks, share stories of the jackass white kid coming in for an interview passing himself off as a minority on a technicality.

Whats happening here??? an innocent conversation about horrible interviews (happens a lot) and Jack goes back to his company and tells the funny story around the water cooler, a few people hear it and before you know it you've been blackballed before you even got your foot in the door.


interviews are putting your very best foot forward, you dont wanna shoot yourself in the foot before having a chance.


If youve ever been in a situation where you were put in charge of the interviewing process youd see this from a totally different perspective. ive had people come into interviews and totally put me off before saying a word. cocky, smug, misleading, condescending and arrogance are the best ways to not get called back in.

[twokss]

did my homework

[Squirrel]

lotta words

i hear you on that, but you gotta agree that race/gender favoring is bull-****, if i was a chief in the state police and was told that i have to hire 100 new cadets, but at least 30 had to be black people, 10 had to be latin and 10 women, i would be ridiculously furious... thats 50 people right there that i must hire... what if i had 1000 applicants, 950 of those were white males, the other being 30 black, 10 latin, and 10 women... now you have to hire 10% of those 1000, you would assume that, easy enough, take the top 10% qualified... but no, you have to take peoples race/gender into consideration so you can fill a 'quota'... what if that top 10% was all white males? Now you screw at least 5% of the top qualifiers because you had to give their job to a less qualified person... now what if all the 950 white males finished 1 thru 950 in class ranking... now you have to hire the 50 least qualified people, i would resign for making a mockery of myself and the credibility of the state police

[NastyEllEssWon]

Yes i believe that the affirmative action policy is b.s. Ive had to deal with these politics while managing a few different tire shops. Its actually racist and offensive to EVERYONE involved. its like saying minorities need an extra helping hand....but on the other hand if you look at the other half of the country, such as the bible belt it also acts as a safeguard toward any future ignorance/bigotism/racism.




The biggest problem i have out of all of this? We have a minority president, if he can get the job without affirmative action then I believe WE as a collective whole of a country should be able to toss aside that crutch and even the playing field for everyone. If I was a minority I would be offended if I got a job over a more qualified person just based on my race.



(skirting close to politics but not really)

[twokss]

bro, you are no where close to being right.. white people make up more than 3/4ths of the us population, please delete your post for ignorance

ok well i apologize, according to Wikipedia, whites make up 75% of America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States#Race_and_ethnici ty

[Frosty]

i hear you on that, but you gotta agree that race/gender favoring is bull-****, if i was a chief in the state police and was told that i have to hire 100 new cadets, but at least 30 had to be black people, 10 had to be latin and 10 women, i would be ridiculously furious... thats 50 people right there that i must hire... what if i had 1000 applicants, 950 of those were white males, the other being 30 black, 10 latin, and 10 women... now you have to hire 10% of those 1000, you would assume that, easy enough, take the top 10% qualified... but no, you have to take peoples race/gender into consideration so you can fill a 'quota'... what if that top 10% was all white males? Now you screw at least 5% of the top qualifiers because you had to give their job to a less qualified person... now what if all the 950 white males finished 1 thru 950 in class ranking... now you have to hire the 50 least qualified people, i would resign for making a mockery of myself and the credibility of the state police

I'm asking this in a serious manner because I truly don't know...how is what you're talking about applying to EOE? You're talking about Affirmative Action which is now illegal if I remember correctly.

Is EOE now the changed named for Affirmative Action kind of how Climate Change is now what Global Warming used to be?

Nasty, well said. Gotta love fighting racism and discrimination with racism and discrimination...proof that common sense goes out the window when you try to level the playing field...such a lovely ideology.

[BigAls87Z28]

This thread went places.

Aaaaaaanyway, yes. I dont think on any of my paperwork does it give race or age.
And yes, I will decide if this guy is getting a job within the first moments of asking questions and how that person answers it.

[Frosty]

This thread went places.

Aaaaaaanyway, yes. I dont think on any of my paperwork does it give race or age.
And yes, I will decide if this guy is getting a job within the first moments of asking questions and how that person answers it.

So would you hire a gay black midget in a wheelchair? :rofl:

[Squirrel]

So would you hire a gay black midget in a wheelchair? :rofl:

if his disability(ies depending on how you look at it) doesnt affect job performance and he was the most qualified i would no question

[Squirrel]

I'm asking this in a serious manner because I truly don't know...how is what you're talking about applying to EOE? You're talking about Affirmative Action which is now illegal if I remember correctly.

Is EOE now the changed named for Affirmative Action kind of how Climate Change is now what Global Warming used to be?

Nasty, well said. Gotta love fighting racism and discrimination with racism and discrimination...proof that common sense goes out the window when you try to level the playing field...such a lovely ideology.

the chief of my college's force, is a retired captain in the njsp and still serves on a board i believe, said that 'the way they get around it is by saying they keep the force consistant with the population'

[BigAls87Z28]

So would you hire a gay black midget in a wheelchair? :rofl:

Considering he probably cant drive, and driving is 99.999% of what I would be hiring for...no.
Our Rangers are not wheel-chair accessable. But having a gay black guy, working in between Neptune and Asbury Park might work out well for us.
I have two slutty spanish girls that flirt with everyone, why not throw in something for the other 10% of the population.

[Frosty]

:rofl: Nice

[jts98z28]

Say you walk into an interview...[/B]

i was referring to the fact that he said in his original post that he has been applying for lots of jobs lately with no luck, i said what does he have to lose cause he hasnt been getting jobs anyway he might as well try a different approach

[BonzoHansen]

Everyone is making good points and like kasey just said, people can either see it as 'acting out as a repressed white person' or 'i appreciate that this kid has balls'... and as anyone knows me whatsoever knows im not one to put my hand over my mouth on my opinion haha

what about using the term 'white minority'?
You can try to spin this any way you want, the answer is the same. The answer to what you asking in the 1st post…
"would me putting down "being a minority through my public school years was tough" (which is 100% true) or some similar crap like that make me an *******?.."…is 100% YES. At best you come off as a smart ass and troublemaker. At worst you are viewed as a liar. I'll say this again. The world is a small place. You never know who you will run into down the road. Oh, and note “im not one to put my hand over my mouth” is not always the best move. Sometime STFU is the best move. I guess that is part of growing up, after you get sack kicked a few times for opening your trap at the wrong time.

“I am a victim of reverse discrimination” is not something you should put down on paper anywhere. Neither is “I am a victim of discrimination”. Either person is a troublemaker and no one wants to hire a troublemaker.

Oh, on those govt forms, IIRC, you don’t have to answer those questions. Just another option for you.

The question whether affirmative action or whatever is good or legal or whatever is irrelevant to the question initially posted.

Honestly, you need to separate yourself from the crowd somehow...
i personally dont think its wrong at all you might as well try it what do you have to lose? :rolleyes: Lying sure will separate you from the crowd, that’s for sure. Everyone likes to hire people with questionable ethics. Here is a professional hint for you guys: Once a liar always a liar. In the workplace once you lose credibility it’s time to get a new job, because you are never going to get that credibility back.


Another lesson for you college aged guys: You can help separate yourself from the crowd but you have to consider it long before you get to the send out your resume step. If you have a job, try to get involved in projects or get promoted in some manner. It does not have to be a fancy job or a big project. Or volunteer for a charity, or be active in college groups/clubs, and try to be more than a schlub member. Experience does not equal paid.

Someone looking for entry level account positions is not going to pick someone with no accounting training, and they are not going to pick someone who was a partner at E&Y for 5 years. Neither is a good fit for the job. When someone screens a resumes, their main goal is to identify the possible good candidates. So your resume is where you get picked to go to the next step. “Helped organize a fraternity fundraiser that raised $1250 for cystic fibrosis” sure looks better than “I delivered pizza”. Don’t you think? Doing both is even better. Now, you can’t lie, because a half decent interviewer will figure that out in 1 minute after they ask you about it. Then you are back to the zero credibility boat.

But what do I know? I've only interviewed hundreds of people and screened tons of resumes.

[WildBillyT]

You can try to spin this any way you want, the answer is the same. The answer to what you asking in the 1st post…
…is 100% YES. At best you come off as a smart ass and troublemaker. At worst you are viewed as a liar. I'll say this again. The world is a small place. You never know who you will run into down the road. Oh, and note “im not one to put my hand over my mouth” is not always the best move. Sometime STFU is the best move. I guess that is part of growing up, after you get sack kicked a few times for opening your trap at the wrong time.

“I am a victim of reverse discrimination” is not something you should put down on paper anywhere. Neither is “I am a victim of discrimination”. Either person is a troublemaker and no one wants to hire a troublemaker.

Oh, on those govt forms, IIRC, you don’t have to answer those questions. Just another option for you.

The question whether affirmative action or whatever is good or legal or whatever is irrelevant to the question initially posted.


:rolleyes: Lying sure will separate you from the crowd, that’s for sure. Everyone likes to hire people with questionable ethics. Here is a professional hint for you guys: Once a liar always a liar. In the workplace once you lose credibility it’s time to get a new job, because you are never going to get that credibility back.


Another lesson for you college aged guys: You can help separate yourself from the crowd but you have to consider it long before you get to the send out your resume step. If you have a job, try to get involved in projects or get promoted in some manner. It does not have to be a fancy job or a big project. Or volunteer for a charity, or be active in college groups/clubs, and try to be more than a schlub member. Experience does not equal paid.

Someone looking for entry level account positions is not going to pick someone with no accounting training, and they are not going to pick someone who was a partner at E&Y for 5 years. Neither is a good fit for the job. When someone screens a resumes, their main goal is to identify the possible good candidates. So your resume is where you get picked to go to the next step. “Helped organize a fraternity fundraiser that raised $1250 for cystic fibrosis” sure looks better than “I delivered pizza”. Don’t you think? Doing both is even better. Now, you can’t lie, because a half decent interviewer will figure that out in 1 minute after they ask you about it. Then you are back to the zero credibility boat.

But what do I know? I've only interviewed hundreds of people and screened tons of resumes.

Yup, I feel the same way. Instant DQ if you lie on your resume/application or run your mouth too hard. If it's a referral we typically report that behavior back to the agency that sent them over.

[T69SS]

Are you white? Yes? Then you're not a minority, period.

That will be changing soon....

[NastyEllEssWon]

That will be changing soon....





so mysteriously overnight 1/2 the white population of america is going to dissappear?

[Frosty]

so mysteriously overnight 1/2 the white population of america is going to dissappear?

The Messicans are plotting our demise as we speak. :mrgreen:

[Masonite]

Overall, I couldn't agree with BonzoHansen more. A good employer will know the bounds between what someone was born into, and what they've done or achieved in their life. Being born a white male or a female latino or a black midget is called "luck of the draw". I had no choice in the matter of being born a white male. What you have made out of what you were born into IS what separates you from the rest of the pack. Take a good look around you and it will be very apparent that those who get a job from what APPEARS to be based on their race, gender, etc, ARE seen as qualified for the job at the time in the eyes of the employer.

A good friend of mine (a young, white male) was just accepted as a Federal Probation Officer out in California. He was chosen for the ONE position out of over 1,200 applicants. Why? Because he worked his butt off in school, got his degree, worked at internships all in relation to his field, and did a bang-up job with the interview process. He did not sell himself based on how he grew up or his life circumstances. He focused on all the things he has achieved, and none of the things that held him back.