I'm applying for a job as the chief engineer of the largest construction company in the world.
I have lots and lots of experience. You see, I am married to somebody who was an engineer for ten years -- albeit at a small regional firm -- and then was married to that same person when he was also, coincidentally, the chief engineer of the largest construction firm in the world.
I also have been a junior engineer for just over eight years at a large regional company, on the strength of the recommendation of my spouse. But when I put "26 years of engineering experience" on my resume, the head of the firm interviewing me scoffed at me! <more on the flip>
Now, I admit that in my eight, er, 26 years as an engineer, I haven't actually built any bridges. I haven't actually designed any highways that have been built, nor have I managed to convince any companies to build any of the prototypes that I have been tinkering with in my garage.
Now, my spouse did give me one project about two years into his job as chief engineer at the big company. The job was to build a new hospital. I set up an elaborate commission to help study plans for a new hospital, although I didn't include any hospital staff or foundations with experience in building a hospital on the commission, I was so experienced that I was absolutely sure it was a great hospital blueprint that I cam up with. Why those dummies didn't build the hospital in the end, I don't know.
Of course, I've been really really good at appointing commissions to study engineering projects, talking to other engineers, and arranging engineering meetings and conferences! I traveled all over the world when my spouse was a chief engineer, so that must make me a good engineer!
I've been badmouthed by other engineers from rival firms before, but that makes me especially good -- experienced -- at resisting the criticism of that sort. Mostly by dishing it out myself! Ha ha ha!
And yet, the firm doesn't seem interested in hiring me despite my eight, er, 26 years of engineering experience. They seem interested in hiring a younger person, who has actually built a few (small) bridges, a small clinic building, and a few new modern buildings using the latest construction techniques from all over the world. But that dolt -- he actually went to rival firms for advice in how to build them! And he's not part of the good-old-engineers network, like I am. How can those idiots prefer this guy, who is only 24 years out of school, to me?!? Sure, his designs are beautiful, but who needs that in a building or a new product?
I tell you, there's only one answer for it: discrimination against me. Oh yeah, and a conspiracy by the other engineering firms to get a weaker engineer in the candidate pool so they can swoop in and grab all the contracts when his pathetic little school house plans are exposed for what they are -- beautiful, but without any walls whatsoever.
Why oh why won't they hire the most experienced engineer -- me?!?