- Joined
- Dec 28, 2003
- Messages
- 4,793
There is an interesting phenomenon that occurs among apes, in the rare instances that an albino is born. The mother nurses it, and the group takes care of it for a while, until its physical differences become so striking that they can't be ignored. Then they all join in and beat it to death.
Most people are just ignorant animals. A pink monkey in with the brown monkeys, who calls attention to his pinkness will be destroyed. _Anything_ out of the ordinary is to be shunned. People crow about individuality, but looks at the kids; their "unique" appearance and choices in clothing amount to a uniform, with rules as strict as if it was Army issue.
Hiring managers may talk the talk about wanting an "individual who will take charge, push back for quality, really be up front with management about what needs to be done, not be afraid to speak up", etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum, ad infinitum, but it's ALL BS. They no more want a free-thinking individual than they would want a typhoid carrier.
The irony is that several employers insisted that this was the type of individual they wanted, but when I gave them concrete examples of such behavior, and even personal references of same, they ultimately wanted nothing to do with me. Go along to get along, forget the customer, forget "quality", business as usual. As long as we all get paid, THAT's all that matters. Do NOT rock the boat.
Being in QA for the last 20 years I'm hosed. It's my job, day in and day out to report defects and show the way to process improvement and new methodologies, but no one in upper management _really_ wants to hear that. Bugs mean delay, and new processes usually mean some investment. Easier for them to make noises about QUALITY (they usually mispell it), and tell the world that "Quality is Job 1" or some similar equally meaningless slogan. I'm convinced that the interview questions and probes as posed above are simply to smoke out anyone who _might_ threaten change, and weed them out before they can get embedded in the dysfunctional organization. They want an executive politician who will put on a good show and do nothing. That reality is incredibly depressing.
So, my philosophy is to hades with the masses. Do what you like. As long as it doesn't hurt others, then go for it. It is _always_ better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission anyway.
As to makeup and high heels, I just stick to a little rouge and eye-liner, and go for some sensible pumps, and no one has ever said a thing!
Norm
Most people are just ignorant animals. A pink monkey in with the brown monkeys, who calls attention to his pinkness will be destroyed. _Anything_ out of the ordinary is to be shunned. People crow about individuality, but looks at the kids; their "unique" appearance and choices in clothing amount to a uniform, with rules as strict as if it was Army issue.
Hiring managers may talk the talk about wanting an "individual who will take charge, push back for quality, really be up front with management about what needs to be done, not be afraid to speak up", etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum, ad infinitum, but it's ALL BS. They no more want a free-thinking individual than they would want a typhoid carrier.
The irony is that several employers insisted that this was the type of individual they wanted, but when I gave them concrete examples of such behavior, and even personal references of same, they ultimately wanted nothing to do with me. Go along to get along, forget the customer, forget "quality", business as usual. As long as we all get paid, THAT's all that matters. Do NOT rock the boat.
Being in QA for the last 20 years I'm hosed. It's my job, day in and day out to report defects and show the way to process improvement and new methodologies, but no one in upper management _really_ wants to hear that. Bugs mean delay, and new processes usually mean some investment. Easier for them to make noises about QUALITY (they usually mispell it), and tell the world that "Quality is Job 1" or some similar equally meaningless slogan. I'm convinced that the interview questions and probes as posed above are simply to smoke out anyone who _might_ threaten change, and weed them out before they can get embedded in the dysfunctional organization. They want an executive politician who will put on a good show and do nothing. That reality is incredibly depressing.
So, my philosophy is to hades with the masses. Do what you like. As long as it doesn't hurt others, then go for it. It is _always_ better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission anyway.
As to makeup and high heels, I just stick to a little rouge and eye-liner, and go for some sensible pumps, and no one has ever said a thing!
Norm
