Denied a Job Because of Interest in Firearms

[Rockwell1]

To the majority of my co-workers I simply materialize from thin air right outside the office door at 7:59 am every morning. At the end of the day I simply walk out the door and vanish. The workplace is the place to be courteous and friend-LY not friend-S. I don't discuss my personal life at work.

 

[Lightninstrike]

Stamp collecting. Got it. "Have you seen the rare 1934 blah blah blah......"

 

[2RCO]

Stamp or coin collecting are probably safer. I took up Golfing when in Banking because it actually helped get a gig rather than hurt. Inevitably the organization I worked for found out that I was a gun collector and hunter. From that point on I got every small business owner with a Firearms interest or trophy mounts in their office referred my way on basis of common grounds. It actually in some weird ways helped!

 

[DWH]

Next time just say,
"wearing out my couch cushion and pushing the remote control buttons."

 

[Gunnerpalace]

And from the constructive rather than from the sarcastic department of advice operations, I'd recommend buying and reading a book about stamp collecting, buying a few cheap stamps, and listing "stamp collecting" as your hobby from now on. Seriously. I mean, you can't win. Pick "restoring vintage automobiles" and you'll draw the greenie. Pick "jogging" and you'll get the guy whose father dropped dead of a heart attack while running. And my, of all things ... guns? Almost as good as when I listed "motorcycling" and was taken as a one-percenter by the hiring partner whose wife allegedly was raped by one.

THIS /\

Stamp collecting. Got it. "Have you seen the rare 1934 blah blah blah......"

I see what you did there...........

 

[Hansli]

Smelly post. I call BS on the OP. Sorry, boys.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

You do realize that if she actualy said that is the reason she denied you the job, you may have a court case, right?

On what grounds?

 

[cambeul41]

On the other hand, my wife has attributed getting a job to her interest in guns. In an interview she was asked what she did to relieve stress:

"Well, I like to read. And I take my dog for walks. But when really stressed, I go to the range and shoot a few hundred rounds. It is something like Zen meditation to me."

Of course, she is an engineer, formerly Japanese, who was applying for a supervisory position. Her interest in guns was possibly seen as empowering rather than threatening.

 

[Ala Dan]

Sorry 'bout the perspective employer "profiling" your application. The
female in question probably saw you as a threat" not to her health
or well being; but in all likely hood too her job security~!

Better luck next time~!

 

[drgrenthum]

geez man, you got to know anything in the least bit scary imediately puts you in the no category when HR is weeding through 500 resumes

 

[Jeff White]

Last time I checked hobbies weren't protected from discrimination in hiring like race, gender and age are. In most places we have what's known as "at will" employment. If a prospective employer doesn't like the crease in your pants he or she doesn't have to hire you. I know it doesn't seem fair, but hey, life's not fair.

Learn your lesson about not everyone being impressed with your interest in firearms, don't list it on the next application and drive on......

 

[DFW1911]

Originally Posted by Mike the Wolf
You do realize that if she actualy said that is the reason she denied you the job, you may have a court case, right?

On what grounds?

+1. "Firearms Collectors" are NOT a protected class, so unless you have protected class status under another category she / they are well within their rights to reject you as an applicant.

Also you are dealing with a story passed on by a friend, which means it has been filtered.

We don't know the real reason, but a lesson has been learned: don't disclose information about yourself that is not directly applicable to your being able to perform the necessary function(s) of the job...period.

From an employer's perspective requesting personal information should not be included on an application. From an applicant's perspective hobbies, etc, should never be put on a resume.

Tough lesson, but you'll know better next time.

Take care,
DFW1911

P.S. What was the job you applied for? An hourly wage that high, traditionally, is converted to salary to avoid overtime or double time.

 

[Sam1911]

If you are expecting them to hire you based on your interests or hobbies, then they are relevant. Otherwise they have no bearing on the job so leave them out. Just put "reading" or "current events". You don't have to lie, but to introduce ANYTHING that someone else may view in a negative light is irresponsible.

Would you write, "I enjoy drinking alcohol," "I march in non-violent abortion center protests," or "I collect women's work-out videos?" None of those things are in any way illegal, or even extremely off-putting to most folks. But I'll guarantee that all those and lots more will be bad news to include on a resume. I'll also guarantee that most of the HR folks your resume will appear before will feel a LOT more threatened by your love of guns than your collection of "Buns of Steel!"

SHOULD she deny your application because you like guns? No, of course not. But you'd be a fool not to realize that many people would be alarmed at your words. Maybe 1/2 of society is "neutral" on the gun issue. But that doesn't mean that they're really comfortable with gun nut radicals. And by introducing the subject into what is supposed to be a pretty sanitized and generic account of yourself, that's what you identified yourself as. Not only is he a gun guy, he's the type of gun guy who'd write it on a RESUME for gawd's sake!

When an HR person sees "GUNS" on a resume their mind is going to immediately flash to an on-the-scene news cast of an active-shooter situation at their office building and her voice saying, "I don't know how I missed the signs! He even said on his resume that he liked guns!" :banghead:

Maybe, just maybe, once you are established and have developed a track record of consistency, responsibility, and sanity, then maybe you can be a missionary of gunny good will to your office-mates. But even then I'd go REALLY slowly and make sure of my target audience. It takes almost NOTHING to get yourself fired or worse these days. If you make your co-workers nervous, you can expect trouble. The idea that you'd be welcomed as an unknown by wearing your guns on your sleeve (so to speak) is just ludicrous.

To tell the truth, I know enough gunnies personally who make me uncomfortable for one reason or another that I'd be taking a long, slow look at that applicant who put that on their resume. The types of gun-folks who advertise the fact are often not the best of the breed.

For what its worth, I think the words you used were about the most tactful and unoffensive that you could have chosen. But they just don't belong on a resume.

Sounds like an expensive lesson learned. Try again and use the wisdom you just bought!

-Sam

 

[mp510]

I would generally try to avoid metioning certain things; like guns, knives or politics, unless it were connected to the job. For example, when I was interviewing for a sales position for a knife manufacturer/importer/seller, I was very open about my interests- because my experience would be relevant to the job. For most applications- I would not mention a thing, and if I did, I would innocuously say something to the effect of "various outdoors endeavors".

 

[Gungnir]

geez man, you got to know anything in the least bit scary imediately puts you in the no category when HR is weeding through 500 resumes

Not true...

At the company I work for we have a pro-active diversity policy, this includes, many things, including differing perspectives on politics, interests, etc.

There are two things that will get you immediately thrown out however, providing a bad reference (i.e. someone who does not know you, or refuses to acknowledge you worked there), and identified lying on the application (or resume).

Overall the OP should take this as a learning experience. I'd recommend still mentioning it. At best not mentioning your interest could have lead to workplace friction, which is additional stress you don't need.

If you find a job where they know your interests before you get an offer, then it's likely a good fit for you and the company.

As a hiring manager at my company, I do look at interests, since they add color and flavor to the candidates, since 90% of them have the same technical skills listed.

 

[mgkdrgn]

"I was judged not on objective fairness, but on the whims..."

Welcome to the real world. It won't be the last time this happens to you.

 

[MikePGS]

formerly Japanese

huh?

 

[Lightninstrike]

Get the job. Work hard, perform well. Establish yourself as a valuable member of your team. When you have done this will be able to discuss your non-work activities without problem. IMO

 

[snakeman]

Try to find someone else that is in charge of the show, maybe the next step up the ladder and get an interview. If someone asks your hobbies tell them TV and your favorite show that way you are not lying. Maybe list collecting and research of antique commodities but don't specifically say the dreaded F or G word. Some people are too snooty to bring their heads out of the clouds and back down to earth. lol

 

[Geronimo45]

There are no 'honest questions' when you're seeking employment. They don't care what you like and don't like. They don't care if you like brunettes better than redheads, or briefs instead of boxers. They are profiling you for risks. They want to know if you're of value to 'em as an employee, and if you're crazy as a bedbug.

"Forget this guy, he's a gun nut - obvious safety risk, probably go McVeigh on us if somebody doesn't like his proposals."

 

[Owen Sparks]

Suppose you had listed watching pornography and going to strip clubs as your hobbies? Most of us here would reject such an application because we don't approve of these things. For some reason this employer did not like your hobbies and interests. Her choice. We celebrate freedom of association in our personal lives. Why should our business relationships be any different?

No one owes you a job.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I've been turned down for a lot more specious reasons than being a gun nut (something I don't tell most people anyway, because its none of their business what I do).

Wait till you turn 40, and you're considered "too old"--all of a sudden you'll get a million excuses why you didn't get the job, but the actual reason is your age.

A whiff of stale cigarette smoke; weight a little above what they approve of; wrong race or gender--you might as well tell 'em you're a psycho assassin. You aren't getting the job anyway.

 

[expvideo]

I usually either say something funny (I've gotten a few jobs by making the interviewer laugh), or I put:

"I am very family oriented and I like to spend as much time as I can with them. I like to jog, hike, camp and enjoy the great outdoors."

That's it. Simple and uncontroversial.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

expvideo: ""I am very family oriented and I like to spend as much time as I can with them. I like to jog, hike, camp and enjoy the great outdoors." That's it. Simple and uncontroversial."

Use that line at four of my former employers (two of which still exist, sort of) and your resume would have been tossed. Family time was NOT allowed to interfere with professional obligations. Family men were a waste of time and training. And that outdoors stuff? "What, does he actually think he gets to TAKE his vacation time?!"

Did I mention "stamp collecting"? It's code among some of us for "GUNS, of course!"

 

[Cannonball888]

You should have wrote that your hobbies were painting rainbows and collecting unicorn art.