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[silent-sistah]

bruv/sis,

 

u answered the question for me - we gotta open doors for eachother to help our community get ahead, i couldnt have said it better myself,,,,just sitting here nodding my head to it all.

[Reality Check]

Gaasira,

 

Sorry about that you weren't able to get the job. Inshallah you will find a better job that will appreciate your skills than this company.

 

I don't know what this man's motive was. Maybe he was judging you because of your skills or for the fact that you are a Somali. That information we might never know. However,Some might not be right for the job because they lack honesty and somehow manage to make things political. Some even find ways to cheat the system for their immigrants clients. I have people in my family who have degrees in Social work but refuse to work in these centers because they don't want to get involved in that.

 

I personally wouldn't place trust in a person that I was not fimiliar with, not because of their credentials, but because they happen to be "Somali". Not because I dont want to help, but because in the end, I really just dont KNOW that person and their work ethics, and they might be the reason of my downfall.

[Pucca]

did u actually expect the guy to choose you simply because you were somali? thats kinda askin too much dont u think?

 

good luck with whatever you plan on doin

 

ta ta

[QUANTUM LEAP]

You got to understand that you were there on merit and not the skin of your color or origin. Unfortunately the man who helped influence the director was biased and probably thought you were not good enough for some unknown reason. It may stem from the hatred somalis have for each other regardless. I do think our judgements are sometimes based on thinking no somali is good enough despite him being one and ofcouse having done the job well, he should have atleast chosen as I think any other man/woman would have to strength the number of successful candidates in the working arena. And no I wouldnt chose you because you were Somali but because you were well qualified. Infact if you look at the statistics you would probably have been one or two amongst the many cadaan. So its crucial we build on our success rather than have the negativities that take place. I would feel much more happier with replacing like for like as long as you can do the job well. Its areal shame to see a fellow somali making sure another wasnt successful where he/she was. About time we acted like most do and that is helping the well educated and able to succeed. It happened to me one time and the directors of the company being all cadaan had to opt of another of their kind. If you look at most society they work towards strengthening their influences in most spheres but we as somalis do have to contend with prejudices from within and without.

 

I hope you dont take that to heart sis, however. if you ever get to a position of power to make sure you leave alegacy you can both be proud of and ofcouse help spread the good.

[dawoco]

Well said Quantum.

 

If you look at the asian society in England, most of them have the top jobs because they had help from an uncle or a family friend. The black comunity is starting to have organisations that encourage their educated people to get into highly desired positions, to further their community.

 

With the somali community there is too much mistrust for a progression to take place.

Those that make it usually use their new gained position to snub the rest and show them that they are in a position of some power. They always make sure that there is an evident line that shouldn't be crossed.

There also is the fear that if we bring someone into our work invironment, they might progress further faster, leaving us behind.

Most of us like to look good in the eyes of our community, and if there are too many people in the same position as we, we won't look special.

 

Having said that, there are many people that do share their expertise and help those that haven't found their footing. It is just that we need more of these types, so we still have a long road ahead of us.

[Nomen nescio]

Garrisa.. did you edit out your topic or what??

[NGONGE]

“If you were in a position to help a fellow Somali land a job, would you help?â€

At first glance, this looks like a straightforward question with a straightforward reply; Yes. However, after reading the story the sister related above, one starts to think that the answer to this can be anything but straight forward!

 

First of all, let me try to understand and make a few assumptions about the story of the job that never was! The job involved working with “migrantsâ€. It wouldn’t be a far-fetched guess if one assumes that a huge percentage of those migrants are likely to be Somali. With such a background to this occupation one can also assume that the perfect candidate should be a migrant too (preferably a Somali). This last assumption is usually made by people who have never worked with Somali migrants. Of those Somalis that have worked with their fellow citizens, many usually complain about the lack of cooperation or respect they receive from their clients (Somalis). A lot of workers wonder why would an ordinary Somali listen, respect and cooperate with people of other nationalities but only accept the words of a Somali person in the same occupation if the words of that person made sense to him/her (even if what makes sense is wrong). Someone who worked in such a field and faced such absurdities is more likely to recommend a foreigner for such a job than a Somali (reasoning that neither side would benefit).

 

Of course these assumptions might all be wrong and the particular individual in our story might have been vindictive or wanted to protect his own legacy. Allah only knows.

 

Still, the assumptions made in this last paragraph are borne out of the experience of working with our fellow Somalis. They’re also gained from daily mingling with our people.

 

 

If one were brutally honest one would lament and highlight the general ignorance of the average Somali. This ignorance seems to have found its way into every part of our lives. It’s not due to a lack of education (though that’s a factor), it’s not even (mostly) a lack of wisdom. It seems to be something that’s inherent in our culture that’s very hard to pinpoint. An example of this could be revealed in this discussion about professions and networking.

 

The lack of Somali cooperation in the professional side of the labour market probably has more to do with the shortage of candidates than a reluctance of those candidates to pool their resources and help each other out. Here is where we Somalis attempt to display our great talent of fitting square pegs into round holes! A Somali Bank Manager would receive countless applications from young graduate Somalis requesting to work in his branch (the applications don’t usually arrive through the proper channels). The idea itself has nothing wrong with it and sounds perfectly reasonable. However, the absurdity becomes clear when one discovers that none of these graduates are qualified for jobs in the banking sector! This scenario repeats itself in many other fields (which probably explains why the sister commented on the effortless way Somalis in the unskilled labour markets help each other out).

 

I wonder how many employed readers have faced similar situations as applicants or facilitators (for lack of a better word).

 

The second part of this surreal issue is the way Somalis in general view the “professionsâ€. A doctor is respected, a lawyer is revered and a journalist is looked up to! However, if a plumber earns more than the three combined he’s the one who gets listened to (hope you excuse the necessary sweeping generalisations here).

 

There is a shortage of opportunities and those who do “make it“, find themselves submerged by the requests for the secret formula! Unlike the Princess who had to kiss too many Frogs to find her Prince, these “professionals†are not seeking any “princeâ€, yet they’re expected to “kiss†the first frog that forces itself on them without question or disgust. Dare they show signs of either; they get accused of being aloof, haughty, unhelpful or spiteful!

 

Another fact to consider is the issue of familiarity. A Somali in a position to help another Somali in a clear-cut situation that has no repercussions will usually do so. On the other hand, when one is asked to help a total stranger land a job while knowing that the future actions of that stranger might reflect badly on one’s own occupation, one would justifiably dither or might even refuse.

 

This last one brings us back to the idea of networking, which the original poster referred to in her post. The conclusion seems to be “Don’t dither, NETWORK†and I wholeheartedly agree.

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Gasira, if you prefer this thread to be deleted (I see your first post is gone), please ask the moderators or Admin.

[NGONGE]

^^^ Thanks a million

[Xoogsade]

I have never been in a position to make a hiring decisions. However, When the American Economy was vibrant in the Clinton Era, Our company offered us great bonuses for each good worker with ethics we brought to the company. We got our Bonus checks through the mail or direct deposit provided these employees who were brought by us and were hired stayed for six months. And guess what we Somalis did? Bring the Whole town in LOL. At some point, we were 15% of the overall employees of the company. And we were the Only blacks working for it. Any somali who could pass the pychological tests designed for the company, basic math and computer skills got the job. Some made up the ladder within the company and became sustaining engineers after they went to college paid for by the company, others are in leading positions, while some of us are still students doing Engineering degrees, all paid for by the company. Many Somalis also Quit or opted for a lay-off with good severance packages. We made a good name for ourselves and actually changed the silent policy of the company of not hiring blacks. They used to hire one or two blacks at the most, but once we opened the door, posters of tolerance and diversity were all over the place and the company sells itself now as inclusive.

 

Anyway, I would hire a somali who is qualified if the position requires certain qualifications and he has that. If not, and the work requires no skill or experience, I would still hire a Somali anyday over others but will avoid to make the place look like Somalia LOL.

 

I remember way back in 1997, when I was newly arrived person in America, A somali guy waiting for a bus asked me if I had a job. I told him I didn't. He asked me if I wanted one to which I replied yes. He took me to his work, paid for my bus ticket and talked to his supervisor to hire me. I was hired the same day since they needed people. My first Job in America. Thanks to that brother, I could send money back home sooner than I expected

[sheherazade]

This topic would have interested me- from what I can tell.

 

the delete virus spreads on

[Juxa]

sa wr wb,

even tho i did not see the original post of garisa, from what i assume is that somalis tend to be xaasid. they put down their fellow country men and women, why i wonder?

 

everyday, at work i see that happen. at the beginning it used to get me angry. when a somali man or woman comes in, and assumes iam a secretary or receptionist. when they request to see an assistance bt they refuse my help tho iam qualified to deal with them.

 

now it does not bother me, i even suggest they make an appointment so that an interpreter can be arranged. sometimes my boss asks me if i can deal with them, bt depending of the attitude of the person infront of me, i say, i can not do it. immigration aint my thing. bt if it is nice person then i do.

 

u see there are advantages of having your own pple working places of interest. for example when u go to indian lawyer, he spends 15 minutes on drafting yr case, a somali will spend a whole day, cause they dont wanna fail you.

 

so why cant we promote each other? why cant we encourage each other? we are minority this county and we must make our mark.

 

honestly, if it was my position, and there was a somali person, who is qualified, and had the necessary skills, i would hire them on the spot and help them gain the expecience they need.

everyone does it. why cant we?

[LANDER]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

quote:

“If you were in a position to help a fellow Somali land a job, would you help?â€

First of all, let me try to understand and make a few assumptions about the story of the job that never was! The job involved working with “migrantsâ€. It wouldn’t be a far-fetched guess if one assumes that a huge percentage of those migrants are likely to be Somali.

A little background info on canadian immigration policies saxiib. In the early 90's and late 80's Canada had very laxed immigration policies and therefore alot of somalis where settling here, but in the mid 90's the government started to reform the immigration policies and suddenly the laws seemed alot tougher which in turn slowed down the amount of somali immigrants coming to Canada. As we stand there are barely any new somali immigrants in the country and I would say the percentage is very little as compared to the other ethnicities. I think you kind of assumed the amount of somali immigration in this country would sort of be comparable to that in England but it really isn't close. I had my own little run it with the british customs this summer, I came for a simple visit and they had to single me out as soon as they noticed I was somali on my canadian passport. Than the officer gave me my stamp and said he noticed my accent and there was no reason for me to me to be suspected. He when on to explain that they were having problems with too many somalis trying to claim asylum and using other nations passports. I thought there were alot of somalis in Toronto, but London is in a league of its own . People chewing Qaad in the streets ...they think they're in hargeisa or something.

[Qac Qaac]

Juxa.. that's called inferior complexity.. somalida badankooda way qabaan, they don't believe another somali person in uu caawin karo. they wanna get cadaan person to help them, madoowgana maba fiiriyaan, atleast adi waxay ku waydiiyaan where was the cadaan person.. laakiin insh'allah ilaahey waxaan inferiority ga ah, wuu naga baa bi in.

[NGONGE]

LANDER, I stand corrected, saaxib.