Are men discriminated against for admin type jobs?

[Double J]

I've been job searching for 2 weeks now, and many of the positions I've applied for have been administrative/secretarial in nature. I feel my fast typing skills (over 100 words per minute) and sharp communication skills would suit such roles, but I have yet to receive a call. Roughly 80% of the jobs I've applied for have been for positions with such titles as administrative assistant, legal secretary, and the like. The ones in my field (marketing) are few and far between.

 

My brother in law and close male friend have had the same predicament. They apply for these positions and don't hear back from the companies. I think two factors are at play here:

(1) We're men

(2) We have bachelor's degrees, and many of the positions don't require them

 

So, they figure they can get the best deal money-wise by considering women who don't hold degrees. I'm also guessing they're worried we will scram for something better as soon as the economy improves, but that's not the case at all.

 

Has anyone else encountered this? Is my reasoning plausible, or am I missing something here?

[Davie]

Most people in higher authority are men.

 

Women have breasts.

 

Woman = Social Victory

Men = Social Fail

 

Took me months to find a job - I had friends (Women) with much lower grades than me getting the jobs I could not get. In the end I had to run back to daddy and he gave me a job. I hate this job.

 

Unfortunately Women get a lot of social advantages in life.

 

(this is not a sexist comment and I am not suggesting that women have easier lives... I sure couldn't bleed for an entire week and still live!)

 

 

(at least this is my view/experiance)

[ButterflyWrists]

Most people in higher authority are men.

 

Women have breasts.

 

Woman = Social Victory

Men = Social Fail

 

Took me months to find a job - I had friends (Women) with much lower grades than me getting the jobs I could not get. In the end I had to run back to daddy and he gave me a job. I hate this job.

 

Unfortunately Women get a lot of social advantages in life.

 

(this is not a sexist comment and I am not suggesting that women have easier lives... I sure couldn't bleed for an entire week and still live!)

 

 

(at least this is my view/experiance)

 

I don't agree, woman if they are ugly or have small breasts don't tend to get great jobs either. Or that's what I have learned.. Also this economy people don't want to employ someone, and men still tend to have a higher pay packet then women, so women will get the jobs.

[yellowcal]

Most people in higher authority are men.

 

Women have breasts.

 

Woman = Social Victory

Men = Social Fail

 

Took me months to find a job - I had friends (Women) with much lower grades than me getting the jobs I could not get. In the end I had to run back to daddy and he gave me a job. I hate this job.

 

Unfortunately Women get a lot of social advantages in life.

 

(this is not a sexist comment and I am not suggesting that women have easier lives... I sure couldn't bleed for an entire week and still live!)

 

 

(at least this is my view/experiance)

 

I don't agree, woman if they are ugly or have small breasts don't tend to get great jobs either. Or that's what I have learned.. Also this economy people don't want to employ someone, and men still tend to have a higher pay packet then women, so women will get the jobs.

 

Pretty much what Butterfly~Wrists said is true.

 

Boobs don't get you everywhere in life. Experience, Personality and the way you present yourself when you apply for a job really does make more of a difference than big boobs, small boobs or no boobs does. It's just as hard for a woman to get a great job because alot of people see us as the weaker sex and are afraid to hire a woman to do a "mans job"

[MollyElise]

I have known male Executives who felt 'funny' about having a male admin. Fortunately, that is dying out more and more every year.

 

I think it also depends alot on where you are located at (more liberal or conservative) as well as the industry you are in. The primary example I am drawing from that felt 'funny' about it was a good-ole boy in the defense contractor scene in Tx. I've also had the experience where the gender did not matter one bit, that was at a medical equipment startup in DC.

 

The biggest thing to remember is that if the hiring manager would be so obtuse as to not be able to see a male in a admin role, it probably isn't a very good place to work at.

[angellight]

Yeah you probably are a victim of reverse discrimination...Most executives expect their secretaries and administrative assistants to be female..I was a secretary and administrative assistant for many years and have never worked with a male coworker with the same job title...they were the bosses, executives and CEO's in the company...

[rocio]

Most people in higher authority are men.

 

Women have breasts.

 

Woman = Social Victory

Men = Social Fail

 

Didn't you just contradict yourself? If men are social failures, then why do they hold the positions of authority?

 

Took me months to find a job - I had friends (Women) with much lower grades than me getting the jobs I could not get. In the end I had to run back to daddy and he gave me a job. I hate this job.

 

Perhaps these individuals did better in the interview? Or their resumes were more well written?

 

I've been job searching for 2 weeks now, and many of the positions I've applied for have been administrative/secretarial in nature. I feel my fast typing skills (over 100 words per minute) and sharp communication skills would suit such roles, but I have yet to receive a call. Roughly 80% of the jobs I've applied for have been for positions with such titles as administrative assistant, legal secretary, and the like. The ones in my field (marketing) are few and far between.

 

My brother in law and close male friend have had the same predicament. They apply for these positions and don't hear back from the companies. I think two factors are at play here:

(1) We're men

(2) We have bachelor's degrees, and many of the positions don't require them

 

Haven't you heard - there's a recession. Workers are getting laid off left and right. Bankers are turning to pole dancing.

 

And two weeks? I would be surprised if you found a position in two weeks, even during the best of times. If you applied to a job 2 weeks ago, the HR personel are probably just getting around to giving it a first glance at this point.

 

Keep trying, don't get discouraged and see a career counsellor to improve your resume, cover letter, and application approach.

 

The fact that you bring gender into this seems odd to me. Why would they get better value for their money with a woman over a man? You do realise that more young women have degrees than young men, on average.

 

Now, if you think your degree is holding you back, try leaving it off your resume.

[ConfusedDater]

Now come on you know that companies want women for those type of jobs.

[Sami Sue]

The ones in my field (marketing) are few and far between.

 

That's your answer. These jobs are not in your field. While you may feel your typing and communication skills qualify you for the job, you haven't held these types of positions. Someone who has been a legal secretary for 10 years - regardless of gender - is going to get the job. It's just a really tough economy and when hundreds of applicants apply for one position, there are pretty good odds that someone has the better resume. By better, I just mean better fit.

 

Additionally, if you have held positions with decision making authority or worked in a supervisory capacity, an employer may hesitate to make you a subordinate.

 

Best of luck with your job search!

[Ananas]

I have worked at admin jobs for about 5 years (since graduating from college). I think it's very true that there is a lot of discrimination in this whole field. Generally, men and often women in positions of authority (managers, VPs, CEOs, etc) want female assistants and feel uncomfortable with male assistants. I think that the whole clerical/ secreterial field is still an area very much defined as "women's work". I could go off on a whole tirade now, but will refrain. Although, I've worked with several men who've held similar positions admin positions, the majority of these men were gay. One straight guy that I knew who worked with me as an admin seemed to get the job, IMO, because he flat out stated to his supervisor that he just needed the job temporarily for a year before starting grad school. I think the supervisor felt comfortable with this knowing that the guy wouldn't get stuck in the position and the company had high turnover anyway so she knew that most people would leave in a year regardless. Also, something that has ALWAYS irked me is that the majority of the straight male assistants I've seen get promoted VERY EASILY even when their work is not different from the work of their female counterparts. I feel that people do not want to see straight men "stuck" in admin jobs and will promote them into higher positions, or at least positions with a better title. Women easily get stuck in admin jobs because oh "it's women's work" or "oh, she will just get married and have kids anyway" or "she has a husband, she doesn't need a better paying job". etc. Blah.

[Davie]

lol i thought i might be beaten down for posting that.

 

No I didn't contradict myself

 

I'm talking about present times. I'm just talking about my experiances. To be a head honch of anything it takes time (previous generation).

 

I think after you have the job it's 50/50. But I think women have better success at actually getting jobs.

 

And there's no way thet the women I was competing with had better CV's or performed better... the two I'm thinking of were real air heads hehe ( no offence to them ... they just were =/ )

[ConfusedDater]

lol i thought i might be beaten down for posting that.

 

No I didn't contradict myself

 

I'm talking about present times. I'm just talking about my experiances. To be a head honch of anything it takes time (previous generation).

 

I think after you have the job it's 50/50. But I think women have better success at actually getting jobs.

 

And there's no way thet the women I was competing with had better CV's or performed better... the two I'm thinking of were real air heads hehe ( no offence to them ... they just were =/ )

 

 

 

Well my advice is to apply to other type of jobs because it's a 3% chance a MALE will get called back for a Administrative Assistant Position,

[straight_down]

i'm gonna approach this from the other end of the job spectrum...because of my personal experience. excuse the rant.

 

i was a bartender at a concert venue for 5 years. nothing too complex, but i think that's a healthy amount of experience in the field. i loved that job and would like to get a better gig somewhere a bit more upscale. based on some feedback, it's my impression that either people consider bartending either a marketable skill, or something a monkey can do in its sleep.

 

still, i have applied for various positions at a multitude of bars, from basic to upscale, and have only gotten one interview. local job listings blatantly (and i mean BLATANTLY) sexually discriminate when it comes to these positions, and it's getting worse as time goes by. now i must admit i'm not the most attractive man, but i think my experience speaks for itself. but when people are looking for "hot female bartenders", the door has already shut. further, over the past year or so of going out, i have seen many females working these jobs who are argumentative with customers, using cheat sheets for drinks, and just generally having an irritable attitude. in any other field, would an employer put up with that?

 

as someone who has been there, all i really care about it that the person making my drink is friendly and does it right. but i guess "hot females" means my drinks are better or cheaper or the atmosphere is that much better. and i guess i'm not right for the job.

[JadedStar]

I doubt it has a thing to do with your gender and everything to do with the fact that the market is over saturated in every industry, with hundreds of candidates to choose from, and you just didn't make the mark as others were more qualified.

[straight_down]

I doubt it has a thing to do with your gender and everything to do with the fact that the market is over saturated in every industry, with hundreds of candidates to choose from, and you just didn't make the mark as others were more qualified.

 

that's just it though...what are the qualifications? i mean, i suppose i can live with high-end places maybe thinking i'm not experienced enough in that sort of setting, but having 5 years under my belt, i more or less know what's expected of the job. like i said, job postings around here tend to be obviously discriminatory (read: illegal).

 

i was also going to mention that i have applied for several secretarial/admin jobs that never panned out either. i've worked in offices most of my life, so i guess at this point i've (perhaps ignorantly) come to the conclusion that women only get jobs like that.

 

so am i to believe the stereotype, or can i really believe that someone with pertinent experience can not even get an interview for most applicable positions?

[ConfusedDater]

that's just it though...what are the qualifications? i mean, i suppose i can live with high-end places maybe thinking i'm not experienced enough in that sort of setting, but having 5 years under my belt, i more or less know what's expected of the job. like i said, job postings around here tend to be obviously discriminatory (read: illegal).

 

i was also going to mention that i have applied for several secretarial/admin jobs that never panned out either. i've worked in offices most of my life, so i guess at this point i've (perhaps ignorantly) come to the conclusion that women only get jobs like that.

 

so am i to believe the stereotype, or can i really believe that someone with pertinent experience can not even get an interview for most applicable positions?

 

 

I think it's a 2% chance a man will get a call back for a adiminstrative assistant or HR assistant job. in my 10 years of working, I have never seen men in these positions

 

secretary

administrative assistant

HR Assistant.

[straight_down]

so obviously there is some sort of underlying discrimination, according to that statistic. anyone care to recommend an "male equivalent" position i should apply for?

[ConfusedDater]

so obviously there is some sort of underlying discrimination, according to that statistic. anyone care to recommend an "male equivalent" position i should apply for?

 

 

Customer Service

Job Counselor

Staffing Specialist

Case Manager

Instructors

Public Relations

Advertising

Accounting

[Blue Streak]

Women are preferred in some areas my industry, which is Real Estate. Men are discriminated quite often as they do not know how to "show" the property per se!!!! RE is where the cash flow is.

[SleepingKitten]

Well straight down, I used to do bartending too. I am female but I made sure that everyone who wanted a drink had one in a short amount of time.

"still, i have applied for various positions at a multitude of bars, from basic to upscale, and have only gotten one interview. local job listings blatantly (and i mean BLATANTLY) sexually discriminate when it comes to these positions, and it's getting worse as time goes by. now i must admit i'm not the most attractive man, but i think my experience speaks for itself. but when people are looking for "hot female bartenders", the door has already shut. further, over the past year or so of going out, i have seen many females working these jobs who are argumentative with customers, using cheat sheets for drinks, and just generally having an irritable attitude. in any other field, would an employer put up with that?"

 

Now.. sure i see a majority of bartenders are women, but what cruddy bartenders most of them are!

I can spend ten minutes standing just waiting to order a drink when there's hardly no one around, just so some dizzy bartender can chat up a male customer and get a better tip!

What kind of nonsense is this? All my customer were male as it was a military base, but this is just horrible horrible service that I see the majority of these female bartenders display now.

I'd much rather walk into any bar in the country, even if the guy was ugly as sin, and try order a drink that try to get a drink in a short amount of time from some dopey dame!

If the girl's efficient and doesn't waste my time by chatting up the male customers trying to get better tips, then I don't have a problem with her being a female bartender. But male bartenders are much more proficient and generally faster bartenders than most women I've seen! But I've had female bartenders also refused to serve me a drink, when I'd not been drinking anything and be really rude and hostile to me. I had a friend tell me his ex girlfriend also had trouble getting drinks from the same female bartender that I did!

I never went back to that bar again! Nor will I!

 

Now.. it does seem that certain jobs if you got a college degree, it doesn't mean crap!

I applied to this job at a bookstore so many times, I cannot even recall.. I almost got the job the last time, I mean I have a degree in printing, so why am I not eligible to sell books???

It was only for the cafe where they sell coffee and snacks.. but there was a female mgr, and though the general manager liked me, the girl coffee mgr did not and I never got the job!

Now, they probably wonder why I hardly shop there at all?

Why should I? I spend so much money at their bookstore over the years, and the fact they would never hire me.. well, I've run out of money to blow on books and high priced magazines!

Yesterday I went in there and there was some new girl employee. i swear she must of weighed close to 300 lbs... She had a backside like the broad end of a barn! Then I saw her kissing the other cashier on the shoulder when they were both standing at the register! At first I thought maybe she was her sister or something but they looked nothing alike

I guess they only hire freaks there now... lol. whatever...

I know how frustrating it is to try to get a job when you got a college degree in this economy.

Well, they had this girl on the radio today, saying that she was trying to get a better job and her husband ended up taking a job out of state just cuz there was not a good paying job in his field..

well, welcome to the club.. Our city has LOUSY jobs.. Yet, they were voted high up in the Forbes Magazine list ately for jobs!

ROTFLOL.. what a laugh. what jobs.. working at WalMart or McD's???

 

Well, good luck.. all I can say is keep trying... it's gotten so bad, I'm going to head to the food stamp office soon. I cannot keep food on our table much longer with the way things are...

 

Good luck Straight Down