Q–I heard through a third person that our office manager thinks I’m lazy. I don’t know where she heard this because she is not involved in my department. I am a hard worker and even offer to take on extra work. But I have a physical disability that causes me to walk slowly and keeps me from standing for long periods of time My immediate boss likes the job I do but apparently hasn’t shared the information.
A–Don’t fall prey to hearsay. Share your concern with your supervisor to see if this third party is right about the office manager or is just gossiping.. Your disability should be made known to your boss, who is then responsible for sharing the information with upper management. As long as your boss is honest and open with you, you should feel secure.
Q–I was fired after six months on the job for not having the right technical skills in engineering. But during the interviewing process, the recruiter told the company that I lacked skills in certain areas. When I was on the job, my boss told me that I was doing the best I could. The person making the work assignments was rarely around to help me. Aren’t these unethical employment practices?
A–It sounds like, with a shortage of tech workers, the company decided to take a chance on hiring you despite your shortcomings. But giving someone a chance to succeed at a certain job doesn’t mean the company must keep the employee if he or she can’t perform at the required level. When you interview, ask interviewers what’s required of you in the position and, if you are aware of deficiencies in certain areas, ask about training before you accept the position. You and your former employer took a chance and unfortunately, it didn’t work out for either of you.
Q–I’m a 38-year-old female and a person of color. Four years ago I obtained a bachelor’s degree in management with a minor in film and video. I would like an entry-level position on the business side of the motion picture business, with an eye on getting into the creative side down the line. I realize that prospects may be better in Los Angeles, but I do not have money to move there.
Although I have been volunteering with film-related organizations, reading the trades and networking, I have yet to make inroads. I’ve always had to deal with sexism and racism in the workplace, but now I’m wondering if age discrimination is also plaguing me. Any ideas?
A–Networking may be a good way to get started, but you have chosen one of the world’s toughest fields to get into. Entertainment companies, regardless of location, receive lots of resumes from highly experienced people as well as new graduates. And you really have to start applying for jobs in Los Angeles and New York simply because that’s where most of them are.. Paul Hertzberg, president of Cinetel Films in Los Angeles, thinks that in the film industry as a rule “age and color are not issues. You’ve just got to be good at what you do.”
Hertzberg says the best way to get into the entertainment industry is to apply for a job doing what you’ve been doing. If you’re a secretary, look for a secretarial job just to get your foot in the door. In fact, he just promoted an entry-level assistant into a more creative position. So don’t give up.
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Write to Lindsey Novak, Jobs, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60611. E-mail her at AtWorkbyLN@aol.com
