No One Wants to Work With me Because I’m Not an American (or a European/Australian/British/1st world citizen)
When I was still working at a call center, I lie on a regular basis: my name was Carrie and I work from a Fortune 500 Company Head Office in Pennsylvania.
It was something that the managers suggested to do though not required. They wanted to make an impression that our customers were talking to Americans. That, they said, would make our clients feel more comfortable.
There was a time when a customer asked me where I’m from. She sounded nice and I wanted to build rapport so I said, “Manila, Philippines.”
“Philippines – where is that? I don’t want to talk to you. Transfer me to an American.”
It didn’t matter if I was equally skilled or eloquent – all that matters is that I should be from United f*cking States of America.
While I think the whole superiority complex is something that naturally comes along with being a citizen of the Empire, it has no room in the emerging digital revolution.
In my first year of working online on Upwork (previously oDesk), I found it hard to close deals simply because of where I come from. The few contracts I had were pretty cheap or below my skill level. I sucked it up, built my portfolio, scored in the top 10% of the tests – it was a continuous effort to prove myself.
Eight years later, I’ve built my business online and now travel regularly. I have an internationalist orientation but I still see that type of judgmental and nationalist stupidity from time to time, especially during interviews.
“How come you speak English so well?”
“Your test scores are excellent but we are looking for a native English speaker.”
“I think you are more suitable for a data entry role?”
I still get that thought occasionally – no one wants to work with me because I’m not American. It sucks. It’s one thing to be turned down for what you are and another for what you are not.
That’s the thing I love about the digital nomad community – people understand that work is no longer contained in an office and that wages are no longer dictated by how much a Big Mac costs in one’s country.
There will always be close-minded racists who judge people for their skin color, ethnicity, gender or whether or not one knows Kim Kardashian and then there are those who choose people based on character and values.
They are the ones changing the world and if you’re one of them I’d love to e-meet you, let’s talk.
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