Friday, June 8, 2007

Homeschooling and Job Interviews

Ds22 called today with the good news that he has been offered a job with the publishing company affiliated with our church. He is very excited, not just because he can now quit his lawn maintenance job, but because he was praying for a job with lots of interesting work, and this one sounds like it's just what he wanted.

Interestingly, the topic of homeschooling did come up in the interview. He was asked if he felt that being homeschooled up until college contributed to his college grades (he just graduated magna cum laude). He replied that he thought it did because I held him to a high standard, adding that I covered many of his papers in red ink. I cannot deny this; dh tells me my red pen is a weapon. He is right, of course, but I always felt that it would be better for my kids if I made them toe the line in the 3 R's; I wasn't that strict on the other subjects because they were more subjective and usually interest-driven.

I'm relieved that the subject of homeschooling came up in this interview and did not hurt him. Several years ago, dd23 applied for a job with a large company in our area. She aced all of their tests, and was doing very well in the interview until the interviewer asked her where she went to high school. When she said she was homeschooled, the interviewer immediately thanked her for her time and sent her on her way.

To say I was ticked off is putting it mildly. I finally had to decide that the interviewer had cost his company a good employee and it was their loss. (Dd23 went on to work for another large company for over three years, where she was promoted twice and given a lot of responsibility.) I could not believe someone would have that kind of prejudice against homeschoolers, especially against one who had just passed his silly tests with flying colors. Again, their loss. That company, btw, was called First Card and is now called Chase. My Chase card has been collecting dust ever since. Not that I hold a grudge or anything ;)

3 comments:

Amity said...

Oh yes, it's funny what reactions you'll get when home education comes up. I visited three colleges - at one, they were polite until I said I was home educated, then refused to even look at my portfolio. At the second, when they heard I was homeschooled, they paraded me around the admissions office in their excitment. In the third, they said, "oh, that's pleasant," and then we talked about Lewis and Tolkein. I went to the third one.

Home education hasn't ever been an issue either way for me in employment, though I've usually had midly positive responses.

Sherry said...

I had to laugh about the red pen. I like the red pen for the contrast and ease of seeing where the problems are. My DH, however, is dyslexic, and he saw far to much red in his school days. He forbid me to use red at all, even tho' our kids don't share his stigma about it. lol The man has an I.Q. of 167, but he doesn't want a red pen in sight!

Barbara Frank said...

Amity, I'm glad you've had positive reactions to your job applications. Which college did you go to?

Sherry, your husband's red pen trauma from childhood is interesting...funny what lasting impact our school experiences can have on us!