Height Matters.

“Helper Wanted: Male, 15-18 years old.”

“Hiring: Store Managers – 2 Female, 1 Male: 25-28 years old.”

“Job Fair: Hotel Employees. Preference goes to graduates of University of ______. 20-23 years old."

“Waitress Needed: Female, 18-20. Symmetrical Features.”

Finding a job in the Philippines is not only difficult because of the lack of jobs here, but also because job openings usually have very narrow requirements. These specifications are very different than in the US, and it has been difficult to adjust to this. Not that I am looking for a job, but I do know a lot of people that are. Most employers look to fill their openings with someone of a specific gender, age, look, or alma mater. Although I have heard that discrimination (whatever that means) is supposedly illegal, I often wonder which definition of discrimination is used.

A resume in the US is pretty basic—it includes your name, contact information, objective in seeking this particular position, education background, work experience, and any other relevant information. A “biodata” sheet here contains the same information, as well as such things as a picture, your religion, birth date, physical description, and even your father’s occupation. When all this extra (and one could say irrelevant) information gets thrown into the hiring process, is it a wonder why it is difficult for some to attain employment? For example, an employer might be much more likely to hire someone whose father is a sales manager than someone whose father is a trike driver. This piece of information actually has nothing to do with the skills and abilities of the applicant that sits down for the interview, but nonetheless, the fact that it is on the biodata sheet probably weighs into the decision. The same goes for religion—if an applicant lists Born-Again Christian on their biodata sheet, they are probably not likely to be hired by a Catholic organization. After all, it might interfere with their work.

Imagine my surprise the other day when I found out that in many positions, there is even a height requirement. Yes, whether you are tall or short may determine your hire-ability or even your chances of continuing on to further education. One of our youth (and I must say, one of my favorites) is 4’11” and a high school graduate. He took and passed the entrance exam to get into one of the best technical training programs here, but because of requirements of employers (who have heavy influence over the students who are accepted into the program) that their employees must be over 5’0” tall, he was turned away. In the discussion with my supervisor, I must have repeated several times, “A height requirement?!?” in several different grammatical forms in both languages. She was equally shocked when I said that this sort of discrimination is illegal in the US. “Oy, illegal?”

While no place is perfect, and I suppose I am not in any position to say what is right or wrong, it is little pieces to the puzzle like this that help to explain the persistence of poverty. Even if a youth from an indigent family is lucky enough to receive a college scholarship or sponsorship and eventually graduate, the fact that their biodata lists their father’s occupation as “standby” or their picture shows that their teeth aren’t all present might influence their chances at finding a job. Those people who choose to cross-venture into a traditionally male- or female-gendered career, or those who are in a religious minority, might be put at more of a disadvantage. Depending on the job you are looking for, being a short male, single mother, married woman, gay man, non-religious person, man with long hair, woman with short hair, Muslim, someone in your mid-40s, someone with a disability, a fresh graduate, etc. might determine your success.

Word on the street is that the height requirement for this specific technical training program has been lifted, which is great news for this particular youth. It is also great news for me, as I don’t have to consider lending him my favorite high heels to trick the system anymore. Fortunately, while some “flaw” on your biodata might determine your job prospects, it does not have to decide everything, as the sign I saw along the road the other day clearly demonstrates:

“Wanted: Asawa (wife). Any kind. Call # ________________”