Actually, no, you know what?

Asta [AMP]

I applied to them last year and made it clear that I had not graduated high school. I did not think this was a problem until I had gone through nearly two months of interviews, an 18 page essay, spatial geometry and logic tests (oh boy, that's a whole fucking dissertation of bias right there) that I had passed... until I finally got to actually talk to the person who would be my manager. Who, the interview seemed to go reasonably well, until he said he really needed my high school transcripts. The ones that did not exist because I, a queer kid who was bordering on being homeless and was neglected, underfed, underclothed, and emotionally manipulated, did not graduate high school. I only ate when I was a teenager because I got a job. I had very little clothing (we lost the house shortly after I turned 18 and I had to go live with relatives for a year or two) and was often cold because we didn't have heat or hot water or gas.

I did later go to college and graduate school. Not only is that where I learned the technical skills I use in my career, I've also had a good 5 years of experience since then and now that makes me a potential candidate for these positions.

Perhaps those questions would have been relevant earlier (doubtful), but my inability to complete high school was not a predictor of my future success, and in fact I've learned so many skills from open source that have helped my career that... the idea that they have formally shut the gates and patted themselves on the back for it sickens me. There's no reason to ask these detailed questions and it only gives them information that calls to mind potential bias in hiring.

End/N

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] It's absolutely true, but this IS for a US based position so they have to follow the law here.

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] Oh, it is. And I'm fucking mad as hell about it.

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] THIS THIS THIS THIS

As a high school dropout I have really fucking strong feelings about this. Hey, did you know, at least during the 90s and 2000s, queer kids were WAY more likely to drop out of high school? (I don't have the paper but it's Bart, M. (1998, September). Creating a safer school for gay students. Counseling Today, 26, 36-39). 3 times higher, in fact!

brennen

@aud canonical is notorious for this specific flavor of bullshit, to the extent that i glanced at the image of the questions first and then went "oh this has to be a canonical thing".

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] Oh, it is. I'm not a lawyer so I certainly can't interpret the law (although personally if I was hiring someone I'd try not to ask questions that aren't directly related to the role, and I'm assume any questions about performance that weren't within the last few years were unrelated in general) but they are, at the very least, ageist, ableist horseshit questions and they really... really piss me off. And I hate that they're continuing to do it.

I have heard so many stories of people who have gone through their bullshit and then been turned down for no real reason and interestingly enough, it's all been women, queers, POC... none of which seemed to be on any of the teams I interviewed with, for the record.

Steph (they/them)

@aud I'm so angry with these fuckers I want to storm their HQ with every other queer or otherwise marginalised high school dropout who pulled their shit together later in life DESPITE the indifference and outright hostility they faced at every corner and is therefore far more resilient and interesting and capable than any mayonnaise high-school high performer this question panders to... and kick every single one of their windows in.

we've all got big stompy boots, I assume.

Asta [AMP]

"why don't more minorities and women work in tech", no one is asking, because they like that it's a "dominant ethnic and social majority" boy's club.

Canonical seriously needs to be looked into for this shit. It's riddled with bias and it wastes the time of the people who are usually more often unemployed in tech: minorities! Nothing like getting your hopes up because you have no choice but to follow the interview chain wherever it leads only to be turned down for vague reasons.

#canonical #foss #openSource #sexism #bigotry

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] ohhhhhh do I ever have big stompy boots.

Captain Superfluous

@aud

Second, unless you're a recent graduate, they could be asking about a class you took 20, 40, etc, years ago.

Only young people need apply. Olds are not welcome.

Oops - I said the quiet part out loud again.

Captain Superfluous

@aud

bordering on being homeless and was neglected, underfed, underclothed, and emotionally manipulated, did not graduate high school.

Ah, see - there's the problem. You didn't choose to be born into wealth and stability. You foolishly chose to have trauma and abuse and poverty instead.

I should have said before, only young people from financially/relationally stable backgrounds need apply.

No one else matters or could possibly be good at this job.

Ben Berry

@aud wait until you get to the test that's definitely not a dyslexia test, but also not *not* a dyslexia test.

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] oooooooooh I DID. And you know what I did? I fucking passed it ANYWAY despite almost certainly being dyslexic. Those fuckers.

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] you know what's funny about growing up Mormon? Is they believe that families specifically chose to be together before everyone was born, and so my mom would routinely tell us that we had picked this so we better be okay with it or whatever. haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

yes, it's me, liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦

how is that not red flag for age discrimination, just for starters. the job description is for someone with more than 10-15 years in the field and they expect the applicant to have all that information about their high school years?

@aud

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] which was half luck on my part anyway

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] Right? And Canonical has been doing this for years. yeaaaaaars. And yet they keep doing it and everyone pretends this is fine?

yes, it's me, liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦

@aud it is fucked up and bullshit. i hate it. everything you wrote is absolutely right. they must not hire outside of their own cliques and this is just for show; to comply with the labor department.

Asta [AMP]

@[email protected] The fact that they later did indeed ask for my non-existent transcripts from over 20 years ago. Like. You just spent two months evaluating me. And now you need a piece of paper from 20 years ago to "seal the deal"... which oooooooops we didn't up sealing actually here's a vague "we're looking for someone with passion"?

Ben Berry

@aud ahaha, wonderful! (I retracted my application when I saw that test, and told them exactly why)