that I complained about in this post and then felt better about in this one ? Well, she didn’t give me the job I interviewed for with her . . . but she gave me a great recommendation for another job in her department, and I got it, and it’s a perfect job for me! Pay is still crap, but hey, I’m a social worker. Today was my second day and I’m soooo excited! Yes!

_{and my nose ring is not an issue at all!}
Hooray for things sometimes turning out for the best!

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The supervisor called back and left me a message, and said that she spoke with whomever it was she needed to speak with, and it turns out my nosering is okay. She apologized profusely for making an issue of it in the first place.

Yes!

So I called and left her a message assuring her that she wasn’t personally inappropriate at all, and I’m just glad it’s all been cleared up. I also said that conversations of this type are pretty much universally awkward, but I appreciated her being honest and open-minded, which is more than a lot of people are.

Now I’m really glad I stayed calm and reasonable, even though I was seething inside. And I’m also glad I didn’t immediately run to my nearest colleague and vent about the conversation and curse out the agency. I was thinking about whom I would speak to if this didn’t get cleared up quickly, but I’m glad I didn’t jump the gun. It was super hard to be professional, but worth it not to be regretting things I said in the heat of the moment.

And now I have options again!

See more progress on: get a job

I am so furious right now. I just had a meeting with my supervisor a little while ago during which she mentioned that we might be getting our grant renewed after all, which would mean that I could keep the job I have now. I’m pretty much over it and over this program, but it’s better than no job at all. I immediately started thinking of how I could turn it into a more positive experience than the last year has been, and trying to remind myself of what I do like about the job – basically trying to be optimistic about the possibility that I will end up here for up to another year.

Then I got a call from a supervisor at the same agency, different department. I interviewed for a position in her department last week. She told me about a different position that has opened up in her department which she thought might be a good match for me, and offered to set up another interview for me. Suddenly I felt like my options were expanding instead of shrinking, which was a nice change.

Then. She called back. To let me know, by the way that her department has a policy which I should know about before I do any more interviews or accept any positions. The policy is: no facial piercings.

I have a nose ring. I’m Indian. My sister, mother, grandmothers, aunts, and cousins have nose rings. I specifically got my nose pierced before my wedding because it was a time when I was more closely exploring my connection to my culture, and it was a way for me to show my commitment to my heritage, at the same time as I committed to my husband. I told her that it seems strange that there is no distinction for cultural reasons, and pointed out that because this is a Jewish agency, there are plenty of people who walk around with yarmulkes on, although wearing a hat is not considered appropriate in the office. She just kept saying that there was no way to differentiate between someone’s cultural background and their personal choices, even after I gave that example. She said that she is going to go meet with someone else right now and will bring it up with her, but I have no idea who that person is or if she can do anything about it.

I’m so angry! This is a freaking Jewish agency! Of social workers! Hello? People who should know about being culturally competent? She said something like, if they made an exception for cultural heritage, then anyone could claim anything was part of their culture. Excuse me, it really wouldn’t be that hard to find out whether or not having a lip piercing is part of someone’s Scottish heritage! The ability and willingness to learn about things like that is a core tenet of the Social Work Code of Ethics, anyway. Am I crazy or are they totally whacked?

At this point I don’t want to work for this agency in any capacity! What a bunch of hypocrites!

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