Isn't it depressing/annoying/demoralising/you-name-it to realise that no matter how accomplished a woman might be, how good her potential for a job, if it's a man who's hiring a woman for a job, more often than not it's her good looks that tilt the balance in her favour.

This young lady who applied for a job with our company, along with a few others, was the only one who sent in a colour photo (of herself, duh) with her application. She was the least qualified in the sense that she had no works experience and was still at university. The others (who only sent passport-size B/W photos, if at all), even if they didnt have formal degrees, definitely had experience in the sector in which they were applying. To varying degrees, they were better qualified for the job advertised than this young lady.

Guess who topped the three semi-finalists, so to speak? (Ok, so I revealed the plot in the opening paragraph - but y'gotta allow me some rhetoric!) Yup, our pretty young lady. She got called first for the interview and spent a phenomenal 2 hours with our slightly pop-eyed chief. That must have been SOME interview (for an office assistant's job!)! Good thing nobody else was scheduled to be seen that evening.

Yes, the other two ladies were also duly interviewed, but it's the PYT who's going to join us "on a trial basis" next week.

No, I'm not jealous of her - she seemed perfectly nice (even if ravishingly blonde! *wink*) and I dont have any animosity towards her. She'll probably even be fun to work with. Time will tell if she's the sort of woman who plays upon her good looks to get ahead career-wise... but at the moment we're all giving her the benefit of the doubt. In other words, it isnt her fault that the boss hired her despite her lack of references or experience.

I know there are women who blatantly use their looks to get ahead in their jobs. But they can only get away with it because there are men shallow enough (and dumb enough) to let them. So whose fault is this situation, really?

(Good ol' blog - always ready for a good old moan, no questions asked!)

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With that off my chest, let me say that I'm really looking forward to April 13. What's so special about that day? My mother arrives here from India, PLUS there's the long Easter weekend to follow - whee, what fun!

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And apropos of other things not mentioned here, I've had to apply for a new passport, because the old one expired of natural causes. I've been informed by the Indian High Commission in Birmingham that it will take them 4-6 WEEKS to process my application and get me my new passport. So I'm still waiting for it.

Pete also had to apply for a new one, at the UK Home Office. He got it - wait for this - THE SAME DAY!

*sighhhhhhhhh*