Ladies, there have been quite a few articles about slipping off your engagement right for interviews. What say you on this topic?
:Stressing about what to wear to a big job interview? Instead of debating skirt or pants, suit or not, some hiring managers say it's the ring you should think about ditching -- your diamond engagement ring, that is.
"Please remove your giant diamond rings," wrote one contributor to a community forum on Urbanbaby.com last week, billing her post as a public service announcement. "I work at a non-profit," she continued, "and when I interview someone who is sporting a huge diamond, I immediately deduct points from that person. I talked about this with some of my colleagues today, and they feel the same way. It's just an unnecessary risk." www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-bindley/interviewing-should-you-take-the-ring-off_b_930242.html
I asked this question on an academic forum when I was preparing for job interviews last year. Most people said it was fine to wear my e-ring.
FWIW, I have a very simple 0.75-carat diamond in a solitaire setting, so it's not showy at all. I was concerned about being judged for being a young, married woman--that the hiring committee would be concerned about hiring someone who may be on the mommy track. But I don't think that's particularly judged in my field of non-hardcore academics.
Post by katieb4tom on Dec 21, 2012 10:24:39 GMT -5
Is it just the e-ring, which alone would assume you were planning a wedding, or is it the whole wedding set, meaning that a married woman will reproduce soon?
Is it just the e-ring, which alone would assume you were planning a wedding, or is it the whole wedding set, meaning that a married woman will reproduce soon?
I mentioned the e-ring specifically b/c some may assume based on size that she would be asking for a higher salary. Wedding bands are a little more discrete usually but I would love to here your opinion on wearing an e-ring, wedding ring or both!
I always wore my ring(s) to interviews because my husband was my only tie to the city - no school ties, no family, nothing. My current job only had a phone interview, so it was a non-issue.
About the rings... I don't think it'd occur to me. I wear an e-, wedding, and anniversary ring on that finger, and I don't think about my e-ring separately. I don't take them off for swim practice; I definitely wouldn't think to take them off for an interview.
The focus of the article on the e-ring specifically makes it seem like it doesn't really apply to married women, just engaged women? Anyway. These articles come up all the time, and meh. I guess I don't like the idea of all these superficial and stupid assumptions made by interviewers. I wouldn't want to feed into it. Either they like me, rings and all, and want me to work for them, or they're probably not the kind of place I'd want to work.
Also, I really hate the phrase "in this day and age."
Hmm, I've never heard that before. It doesn't seem like the field of education would judge me for being a young, married woman. Also, like RBP, my ring is very simple and not really flashy at all. It seems like kind of a silly thing to base a business decision off of.
I'm guilty of taking mine off when I was on the job market a few years ago. I think it's ridiculous but I was a relatively new PhD, I look young as it is (even though I've been married for while with two kids while I was interviewing) and I didn't want it to come into play.
As far as the kids on cv issue, I've seen plenty of cv's come across in the faculty searches I've been that have a "personal interest" section at the very bottom. I personally do not but I have seen quite a few that do.
I guess that the thing about being worried about people with a flashy e-ring on exxpecting a higher salary makes sense a little, especially in something like a non profit job. It is still a leap though. They'd be better off just asking about salary expectations.
I don't wear my e-ring to interviews. But I am more in the situation of the first story in the OP. I have been interviewing for non-profit type jobs and my e-ring is big. It doesn't feel right to have something so showy when I know my salary will be shit.
In the past I haven't, because I didn't want potential employers thinking I had kids, or would be having kids and that preventing me from getting the job.
Now, I don't wear them because I don't want to mislead them.
Post by dr.girlfriend on Dec 21, 2012 10:38:57 GMT -5
Mentioning kids in your resume is absurd regardless.
I don't think there's any winner in any of these situations. If someone's unmarried, maybe they'll meet someone and move, or spend a lot of time distracted by dating, wedding planning, etc. You can spin any scenario against a woman if you want.
I will say, however, that my cousin's engagement ring is GIANT -- like, in my mind pretty ostentatious. I felt a little self-conscious walking around parts of Philly with her, it seemed like a giant "rob me!" sign to me, like having a wad of hundred-dollar bills falling out of your pocket, although I'm sure she doesn't notice it at all anymore.
As a manager that hires mostly young women, some thoughts:
Both my absolute best and absolute worst employees are moms. My best employee does not tend to stay late almost ever. Fine with me because she does 50% more work with better quality than anyone else. You don't get extra points for still being in the office at 6. One of my least flexible employees is a single person.
I absolutely do not take into account parenthood or marital status when hiring. But if I did, I would rather they already have the kids and spouse since obtaining those things are distracting. Several of my staff have had clearly decreased performance prior to a wedding and for months after having a baby--the 1st seems to cause the most disruption.
It seems my staff are all pretty solidly middle class so no one has huge rings that I've seen interview. If they are huge I might notice, so maybe don't wear a 2c+ ring?
I have a smallish 3/4 carat estate ring & a plain white gold band. I do not wear either on interviews. I don't want the hiring committee thinking about my personal life. Only what I can do on the job.
I don't think there's any winner in any of these situations. If someone's unmarried, maybe they'll meet someone and move, or spend a lot of time distracted by dating, wedding planning, etc. You can spin any scenario against a woman if you want.
This. Which makes me believe that if an interviewer is going to make judgements about you if you're wearing a ring, they'll make equally as stupid judgements if you aren't wearing one!