Comments on: Open Thread: Has Your Freelancing Career Been Affected By Discrimination?

By: Conrad Rawlins

Conrad Rawlins — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:05:13 +0000

I’m sorry but Luke is a jackass! If that picture of the white guy is actually him, he should shut his mouth about his “experience”. Luke, the entire planet is predominantly run by guys like you who are white and do not perceive a problem. I’m black and freelance. I’ve been black my entire life but I’ve only been freelance for the last 20 years. Twenty years of excellent work that rivals my white counterparts. Happy clients all around. So now, with all that experience under my belt of long term relationships doing work for top tier companies nationally and internationally, I shift my focus to work full-time. I can’t pay someone to hire me!! But yet I see these same employers and recruiters who were eager to talk to me on the phone hire the same person instead of me, a white person. Male or female, it doesn’t matter. The white employers and recruiters only hire their own kind.
Luke, on matters of race discrimination, you’re insistence on paying attention to the client is an assumption that a client would even give a black person a chance to work for them, so there is no “worrying about the client”. You have to get the job first to do that.
Idiot. Typical.

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[...] Has your freelancing career been affected by discrimination? [...]

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:14:31 +0000

In my opinion, personal details, mental illness or physical handicaps are private matters and definitely not an employer’s business to know. Any issues a person might have, they should feel no obligation to share them with someone who signs their pay checks. If something comes up that interferes with the work, “family emergency” is all they need to know.

Being a white male of average looks and healthy appearance, I don’t feel like I’ve personally experienced anything I would consider real discrimination, however I did miss out on a freelance gig once because I wasn’t Jewish. But it was probably because I wasn’t all that up to date on current events in Israel. I wasn’t too phased by it though, The job wasn’t going to be very fun – High pressure, short deadlines. I think I dodged the bullet on that one.

By: Meryl K Evans

Meryl K Evans — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:31:57 +0000

Here’s another unique situation. Back when I still worked in the corporate world, I took a promotion that didn’t work out. I had no way of moving out of the department, so I had to look for a new job. While interviewing in person, I struggled whether to tell the manager that I was three months pregnant (obviously, not showing yet). I didn’t want to hurt my chances because the job was such a great fit and I knew I’d be happier and be able to contribute more.

But I’m such an honest person and besides — if they hire me, they will find out. So I told her near the end of the interview. She was happy for me and I got the job. I stayed with that company for seven years until I struck out on my own.

By: Star

Star — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:22:36 +0000

So if we do think someone isn’t selecting us for a job because of a certain factor, we should just lie?

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:01:06 +0000

Great topic, I think it is so very important to discuss these types of issues. As a gay woman I have had moments in the past where I’ve had a few discriminatory comments thrown at me in the work place. But now as a freelance web developer I’m fortunate enough to selectively choose my clients and who I want to work with. With new projects I generally pick up attitudes very early on a relationship and decide if I want to go ahead from there. Luckily the majority of my new clients are initially a little surprised to hear that I am married to woman, but they get used to the idea fairly quickly.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:49:49 +0000

I haven’t necessarily felt man vs. women discrimination in freelancing yet (wish I could say the same for previous jobs!), however I have heard comments about how women can’t be good programmers, and many others assume that I’m mostly a designer rather than a developer because I’m a women. Not that this is to impose design is a lesser career choice, but I definitely sense gender roles in creativity vs. logical careers. I usually hear these things ‘behind my back’, or when others aren’t aware I’m in the room/present.

The biggest thing I’ve been discriminated against is my age however, like many have already mentioned. Despite several years of experience, people expect someone who’s 19 (when I started freelancing) to be inexperienced and unprofessional. I found out that many of the clients who agreed to work with me only did it because they thought they could get a cheap deal out of it, and I didn’t deserve what I was charging for myself. (Even I thought I was charging a bit cheaply, it’s amazing that most tried to push me lower!)

Prejudice is definitely out there, no matter how others try to hide it. Those that say there is very little prejudice because its nearly 2010 are most likely in a position where prejudice doesn’t happen to them. It’s out there. It may be a bit more ‘under the rug’ than it used to be, but it’s definitely there. Whether it be age, gender, race, and however subtle or out there it may be, it’s there.

By: Naomi Niles

Naomi Niles — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:03:19 +0000

I’m a woman and I’m 28. I have a soft and slightly higher pitched voice. I’ve had more than one client/potential client tell me that I sound like a teenager over the phone.

Discrimination? I wouldn’t go that far. But, I’m sure it gives them a certain idea of me that is not totally correct.