My Experience With Internal Job Openings

To follow-up on a recent post about some companies not posting internal job openings, so that staff can’t get first cracks at available jobs, I’d like to share one of my experiences.

I was working with a White, mid-level manager for about a year. A job opened up, which would have been a promotion for me. This job wasn't posted because my company did not list internal job openings. They would move White staff into jobs or they would hire from outside the company--usually bringing in White staff. Well, this White manager wanted me in the position because I was already doing some of the work and we got along well.

Well, HR and others got together to discuss the available jobs at the company. Afterwards, I was told that I wasn’t a fit to work in the position because the position required a medical background. For the record, it didn’t. The position was about marketing information to medical professionals, organizations, etc. and did not entail any original writing, etc. of a medical nature.

Anyway, I was told to work with this manager until someone was hired. Well, here comes Ms. Young White Chick (not her real last name). So, I had to ask, "What is your medical background?" And, she said, “Both my parents are doctors!”

Yes, her parents being M.D.s qualified as HER medical background. The White manager later told me (the same one that wanted to place me in the position):

“Well we counted that as a medical background because we assumed she’d have a familiarity with medical jargon from hearing her parents speak.”

Well, if that’s all it takes, I have a familiarity with medical jargon from watching Doogie Howser, M.D., Quincy, Emergency One, Trapper John, M.D., General Hospital, ER, Chicago Hope, St. Elsewhere, etc.

Give me a freakin’ break!

So, Ms. Medical Jargon (still not her last name), needed me to help her create handouts and conduct a major client presentation on work I was told she was expert in/was familiar with. Today, she has replaced that White manager in his mid-level job!

This employer never criticized me for not having strong skills, they just wanted something MORE—like parents that were doctors. Funny thing, this was the 2nd time I lost out on a non-posted job opportunity at this company. And, both times, I was asked to train the White staff that were hired from outside the company. But, they supposedly had MORE than I did. I was unqualified to do the work, but qualified to teach someone White how to do the work! It must be nice in White world!