I work in HR and I have a question about this weeks The Senior. (MC x Zig)
I know no one actually gives a damn about this or even asked, but as someone who actively recruits and hires individuals for a variety of sectors, I just want to point out some of the absurdities. (I know that I am not an author, and cannot comment specifically on the professional world, but I think the parallels will be pretty clear in the end).
MC
Let me start by pointing out what a fucking rare ass, unicorn situation having MC not only being a full fledged publish author, but a national best seller one at that, by her sophomore year is. On top of that, being supported by a famous author’s family with their full blessing and being his protege. Oh, and did we mention securing an internship with a large corporation and undergraduate investigatory work that secured national attention?
You would have to a) be really fucking dumb to not gain some networking during this time and b) oblivious to the fact that MC’s real problem is not that she might miss out on the job of a lifetime, but whether she might be overqualified for well...everything. The conversation should have gone more like this (not with expletives and rudeness..but with the same point in mind):
QHR (Quill HR): We just love your work so much, and we would love to interview you. Would you mind working for us in England?
MC: I’m so honored! I would love to explore a partnership with your company. I just have one request, that I be allowed to work remotely.
QHR: Nah, that would not work.
MC: I’m sorry, but why?
QHR: Can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.
MC:........
MC: So you’re going to tell me, that in the year of Our Lord, 2018, it’s not possible to Skype meetings or that it would be absolutely outside of the realm of possibility for a fucking fictional writing magazine to make an accommodation, even though literally no part of the job description states that idea development, editing, etc. could not be done via technological means?
QER: Exactly.
MC: But that was the only request I made. I didn’t even ask for financial reimbursement for moving or higher pay. In fact, I asked specifically that you not give me money so I could retain some semblance of a work/life balance by keeping important relationships a priority.
QER: Yeah, but you know, we need story lines and shit.
MC: Hold on one second...*moves phone away* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ARE YOU SERIOUS?! DO YOU REALIZE HOW INCREDIBLY LUCKY YOU WOULD BE TO HAVE A BEST SELLING AUTHOR IN RESIDENCE?! NO ONE EVEN GIVES A SHIT ABOUT FICTIONAL MAGAZINES! AND YOU ARE SERIOUSLY TRYING TO TELL ME THAT TIME TRAVELING AND TEACHING IN ANOTHER CULTURE WOULDN’T CREATE AWESOME MATERIAL?! YOU KNOW WHAT?! FUCK YOU KAREN! YOUR ASS IS FUCKING LUCKY I WAS ONLY INTERESTED IN A POSITION AS A WRITER WHEN I COULD TAKE YOUR FUCKING EDITOR OUT WITH ALL OF THE CASTLE INTRIGUE MY PETTY ASS COULD PULL *click*
This was me reading The Senior during every chapter:
I just want to emphasize how incredibly difficult it is for women to achieve even a modicum of a life/work balance in the US, and it is imperative that women are taught to be assertive, but not bitchy, in working towards achieving that. Women have got to look at their well earned credentials, see the value and say “look, if a man had my qualifications would you push to retain him?” The answer is many times yes, but women are asked to settle because there is a potential that we will get out of work early or take time off for rearing children, and that is all supposed to be a “hidden bonus” instead of you know, decency and having a functioning and well covered place of employment. I’m a young HR Executive, so I totally understand a lot of the disappointment and differences regarding the old guard. But, I just wanted to emphasize that new voices are coming up, and the field, and how jobs are filled are DRASTICALLY changing.
Zig:
I really love Zig’s passion and his dream. I totally do. Which is why the way his story line has been dealt with is extra laughable. Teaching English in foreign countries is a fairly common option for many in the US (choosing the location less so) with contracts in place. Zig’s dream has never been explained as to why he has to take it NOW and can’t wait even just a few years. The Senior has spent all this time building up MC has this shining light of possibility, a prodigy where Zig was concerned that she would leave him behind. But all of a sudden we are supposed to believe that he just could not pass up this opportunity and he was going to expect her to give up hers or put her trajectory on hold. Uh huh...sure. When literally nothing in his character said he would take issue with her being in the lead for awhile and her career is at risk for a short shelf life when education is largely not.
I guess what I’m saying is that everything is shit and this is a really dumb ass ploy to drag out a story line, hastily tie up loose ends and grab some diamonds.
