I know that most employers will check out a candidate's facebook page so people generally make the page look professional while job hunting. I've read advice to keep religon and politics private when searching for a job because you never know if a hiring manager will be swayed against you if they disagree. So would veganism fall into this category of something to keep private, or is it basically irrelevant in this context?

Erm, why in the world would anyone not have their FB settings private so nothing can be seen by a random stranger? Good grief, all I'm willing to offer an employer is my resume and references. They can call a former employer if they want to know about how I perform paid duties, my private life, including what I eat (for goodness sake!) is none of their business. This is not information I would hand out and I wouldn't feel comfortable being asked either. That's a weird work relationship right there, somebody wanting to know about your diet.

Well there's nothing negative on my page, so it's ok if anyone looks at it. I was just wondering if vegans tend to get discriminated against in the professional workplace, in which case I won't have a reference to it.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2012 11:05PM by RawPlease.

No, whether you are vegan should be about as controversial as whether you use an umbrella on rainy days.

Unless, are you trying to get a job with Tyson Foods or something?

i don't understand the assumption

of why an employer would discriminate against a vegan

at

all

Maaaaaannnn times have changed!!
Back when I was last job hunting FB didnt even exist!!
I dont think its any ones dam business what you eat.

I think a good rule is to keep private information to a minimum during interviews. So many people are applying for a position that interviewers can't help but use pivate info as a filter.

when I was interviewing people to work for me, I wanted to learn 4 basic things during the interview: How well you can do the job? Are you honest and dependable? Why are you not working at your last job anymore? And, will you get along with the people already working here.

Unfortionatly, many people still associate veganism with radical politics, extreemism, office proselytizing, movements like OWS, and believe it or not, smelly gas. These are not thoughts you want running around in a interviewers little head when you leave.

This is just my opinion, but I would concentrate all my efforts on getting the job first, then let them learn of your way of eating after you start working there.

Interviewers are looking for a balanced personality too, someone who will get along with their co-workers and not cause friction and issues. If a person is so obsessed with diet that they make a point of bringing it up in an interview... well. What else are they "weird" about? Not something I would talk about on a first meeting. Just, no.

Yes, but it's info on Facebook, a passive medium vis a vis the potential employer's purposes--he or she decides what info on there is important enough to ask about in your interview, right? IMO, the typical white collar employer would not focus on the veganism, because they'd likely view it as irrelevant to the job requirements. Unless, as I wondered about above, the job is at a huge agribusiness/commerical food commissary.

Raw Please, just curious why you keep your page public in the first place.

Great responses. Thanks! @swimmer, it's especially interesting to hear from an employer's point of view. I agree that most employers probably won't think about it too much, but there is no way of knowing if the hiring manager is one of the people with one of the stereotypes swimmer mentioned. I'll be very conservative and not mention it on FB til I'm hired.

@bananawho, Since we know most employers are checking out candidates on FB, I thought it's a nice way to add some things that don't fit on a resume, such as hobbies (activities). Employers can also see that your resume is truthful if you list your former places of employment on your FB page. (If I was very active on FB with wall posts and pics, I would probably have those set to private.) Aside from all of that, the reason I even created a FB profile was to share things about animal rights/veganism, but the job search temporarily thwarted that purpose for the page.

I'm not an employer, but I've hired people in the past for companies I worked for.

Facebook is an interesting phenomenon to deal with when job searaching. I'm not into social networking, so I don't know all the ins and outs of facebook. But there are several internet archive search sites where you can access a snapshot of any web page on any given date in the past. I would think that if a perspective employer were to check someones current facebook page, they would also scan some past dates.

These days at the very least you have to expect your name to be googled by any employer. If you put something out publicly on the internet, you have to assume it can be found by those you don't want to see it just as easily as those you do want to see it. As others mentioned, a private page is the only way to go.

As far as using FB to augment a resume...My opinion is a big fat no.
First, anyone who is willing to lie on a resume, they could just as easily lie on FB, and any employer knows that. Second, the less personal info an employer knows about you before they hire you, the better. Those "interests" are not necessarily seen as you would like. Mention of the most benign interest or hobbie on your part could trigger a negative response, and hurt your chances. You just don't know what someone will read into it. I'm no expert, and this is all just my opinion, but I suggest you let your job and people skills get you hired, and get into personal interests when you are established. I work for myself now, but in the past, I'm fairly certain I've blown at least one job by saying too much about my diet restrictions in the interview.

I think your time is actually better spent researhing the company, the position, and the career path. Use the internet to educate youself about them instead of trying to teach them about you.

Sorry to be so long winded...

INTERVIEWER: So, why should I hire you?

INTERVIEWEE: cuz ima vegan

INTERVIEWER: are you RAW?

INTERVIEWEE: yeah, i try.. i dig it

INTERVIEWER: well, you're HIRED!!!

INTERVIEWEE: Well, don't you want to umm. ask me about my work experience and such things of that nature and abilities and capabilities and.... uhh.. you know... things like that?

INTERVIEWER: uh, not really, we think you're pretty capable if you make a regular habit of eating broccolis and strawberries and blueberries and spinach

INTERVIEWEE: Wow, thanks! When do I start?

INTERVIEWER: So, why should I hire you?

INTERVIEWEE: cuz i eat chili cheese and fries.. but i don't use regular oil, i use canola

INTERVIEWER: So, you deep fry your foods?

INTERVIEWEE: yeah, of course, but like i said, i use the good oil , not that lard stuff

INTERVIEWER: so could u tell us a bit about your work experience?

INTERVIEWEE; graduated summa cum laude , have 14 years of experience... with increased responsibilities, have tons of accolades, was voted in all my previous 3 companies as "Best Performer of the Year" and i could go on...

INTERVIEWER: umm.. actually, i hafta run to my nail appointment and so i have to cut this interview short

INTERVIEWEE; well, can we set up another time?

INTERVIEWER: uhh.. sorry, i think we already chose our candidate

INTERVIEWEE: yeah? well, who? what is their achievements?

INTERVIEWER: uhh.. i'm not sure exactly, but what i CAN tell you is that she eats a lot of spinach and apples and whatnot ... so, umm... we kinda need some high vibes around this place , a clear mind, someone who is not going to be on sick leave often and so we decided to go with her

INTERVIEWEE; whoah... i guess my chili cheese and fries days are over... or.. uh.. maybe i should just switch to BAKING it with that uhh. olive oil stuff

INTERVIEWER: uhh.. yeah, just set your oven to 450 to preheat and good luck!

INTERVIEWEE: Hey! Thanks for the tip! You're a real nice lady

INTERVIEWER: uh.. yeah thanks, i do my best to help people out, you know?

lol. If I owned a large company, I would hire you to hire people for me!

I'm a dog person, but that's a handsome cat, swimmer

Thanks Tam,

That's Gracie, I named her after the commedian Gracie Allen. The name fits!

my only point being that, i think that if an employer finds out that you are a vegan ( from facebook or whatnot), he/she is more likely to think that you are LESS of a risk ( because they will probably equate that lifestyle to "healthy" than being a risk ( in terms of sick leave, time off, sluggishness, low energy, being less productive due to low energy) etc.

they may perceive vegans to be more aware, intelligent, higher energy, healthier, more productive and thus less likely to get sick, take time off and be a "risk"

that is why i didn't understand why you would fear that an employer would discriminate vegans

i would call it reverse discrimination

they may probably choose someone whom they perceive as having a healthier lifestyle than not

LOL, that's not what most people think of veganism in my experience. Most people living a regular old lifestyle of SAD eating etc think that vegetarians, vegans, and other "health nuts" are just that. Nuts. They don't equate it with being sick less or any of the things you've listed here. What they think of it as is weird, fringe, strange, odd, and, often, threatening. This is not something I would discuss at a job interview.

Those who don't perceive a healthy lifestyle as odd are probably already living it to some degree themselves but the percentage of those who are is actually quite low. Chances are, your boss-to-be is not one of them unless you are applying for work in a particular field where it's more likely.

I think You both make valid points.

That's the problem, you just don't know how an employer will respond. You can have expectations based on past experiences and/or how you want them to perceive something, but without an enormous amount of data on a person, you just can't accuratly predict someone's reaction to a random piece of information.

well, professionalism means divulging information that is appropriate to the job position thus if the employer doesn't ask what your diet is, there is no reason to talk about it

but if they find out via facebook, i wouldn't worry about it

don't spend too much time trying to push down your light
or defend your radiance

its a waste of precious time

I was totally denied employment (during interview) at certain places simply for having affiliated with vegan establishments in the past.

Some people are just outright PREJUDICED. It astounds me. Like, seriously, it is 2012. Global society is upon us.

I made it to the fourth interview at one really competitive place, and my credentials are OUT FREAKING STANDING. I interview awesomely well. Hygiene, confidence, wit, buckets of experience, I've got it. (Living in a city where getting a job is next to impossible teaches you to up your game... or go broke, starve, and die.) All I had left was the interview with the GM... and I will never forget the look of DISGUST that spread across her face when she glanced over my resume and saw that I had affiliated with a vegan establishment. The interview sank right there and she did a horrible job of hiding it. It was pretty grotesque. She stopped asking questions and skipped right to a speech of, "Well, we're looking to hire the RIGHT person..."

Anyway, I'm better off in the long run for taking the path that I did. Thanks to the backwards people who never hired me so more FRUITful opportunities could come my way. They have!

hey phantom

i think i "may" know what happened there
the thing is that their attitude tells me that the job position with its attending requirements had absolutely ZERO to do with being a vegan health nutritionist, holistic health practitioner, vegan executive chef etc. these were probably not the positions you were applying for

therefore, WHY mention any affiliations with vegan establishments on your resume?

its one thing to mention it in facebook ( because it is a social site)

but to mention it in a resume where the affiliation was totally unrelated to the position may just be asking for trouble

yeah, it is frustrating to have high credentials and be shot down
because someone else is not in alignment with your values

but to those that are totally unfamiliar with what raw and vegan is all about, they just might have the attitude that vegans are

self righteous, looking down on others etc.

it takes a mature open mind to push through that and see the merit in it

i've never met a single person in a social setting who did not comment on my diet ( when they did) as being something they also "wished" to become more like

however, that EXACT same person , in an interviewer/employer position
could feel threatened
if they think that you will be propounding what they also feel are political values

they might have visions of PETA people boycotting mcdonalds and seeing you as a person who will be nit picking at any policy of theirs (including a company banquet that may contain animal foods) that is not in alignment with your values

also, they might be feeling guilt at not being able to better their own diet

so they feel threatened by yours

i don't quite understand it myself


but learn the rules

so you can get what you deserve

its a bad idea to put anything down that is even remotely affiliated to something that could be construed as political or a lifestyle

because you don't know what side of the fence the employer is on

keep your resume and any affiliations focused strictly on the job position at hand

get what you came for... the salary

and forget whether or not everyone else is on your boat

you can make friends OUTSIDE of the workplace

the workplace is primarily for business

I only listed qualifications which were specifically pertinent to the job, I just happened to fill them at a vegan establishment (the place had an obviously vegan name, that was all).

phantom

oh i see

next time,when you go to an interview

wear a necklace of garlic around your neck

lore has it that it is supposed to "protect" you from those who are afraid of the light

Ever since that happened, I started lying during my interviews and say I'm not vegan if people ask. What a dreadful world.

My current boss is raw-curious (everything works out in the end!). I came to work one day and he was like, "HEY!!! Have you heard of Durianrider?!!" And I'm like, "Oh god... don't listen to that guy!!"

I will try the garlic next time.

phantom

LMAO!!!

out of all the things your boss could've asked.... LOL!!

Phantom: Hi, my name is Phantom and I'm here to interview for the Job.

Interviewer: Well... ummm... uhhh... i'm looking over your resume here and I see that you have been affiliated with a couple of vegan establishments. We''re actually looking for...

Phantom: (Interrupting) Well, ACTUALLY, I'm not vegan. I eat fish tail, eyes of lamb ( they are a delicatessen you know?) and cow tongue.

Interviewer: Well... oh... then...I think you are perfect for the job.

Phantom: Great! Thanks for letting me know but I just got another job this morning that looks more promising so I think I'll take that instead.

Interviewer: what?

Phantom: and ... I was just kidding, I'm vegan after all.

Interviewer ( with a look of sheer horror ... she shirks and shrieks and hides behind a fan of her stilletto nails and elephant sized baubles).... Heeellpppp! Hellllppppp!! HEEELLLPPPPP!!!

Phantom: Takes out her garlic necklace ( which makes the interviewer appear to shrink even further...) Sorry ma'am, there is simply no help for you. I usually don't throw pearl to swine... but... here's my lunch. ( Phantom throws a paper bag filled with a garlicky durian, half a cherimoya, a turkish fresh fig, and a spinach dandelion salad tossed with a raspberry vinaigrette ( home made).

Interviewer: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.... She stumbles and crawls to her cell phone to make a 911 call but its too late. The garlic necklace as well as the powerful melange of fruity delectables is too much for her. The faster she tries to punch the numbers on her cell phone, the more her fingers seem to disappear... then goes her arms, torso, legs...until she becomes a puddle of grotesque-ness.

It is a beautiful day. The sun's rays peek out from behind the clouds as Phantom enjoys a scintillating day at the beach.

la_veronique,

If it had been known prior I would never have been hired at several places.

One guy screamed at me several times "I dont trust anyone who does not drink bear and eat pizza."

At another place while people were out for lunch I stuck a Tim Tye raw food CD into a persons CD player as a joke only for her to hear but instead it went out to the whole area. Almost got fired instantly. LOL

the answer is yes