[psyc]

I had two separate preliminary phone interviews today (different companies) that both left me fuming, and I've experienced similar many times in the past. My resume says, to summarize drastically, 1999-2015: C++; 2015-present: C#. These interviews were for C++ positions. Both interviewers specifically used the term 'red flag' referring to the C# part. Either they believed one section of the resume and disbelieved the other, or they believe I only know C# now and the C++ went completely out of my head and isn't coming back. Both interviewers spent the whole interview tsk tsking and communicating the lament "Yeah we really need a C++ person, and I'm just not seeing that you have that."

The conduct of interviewers when hiring cold is stunningly asinine for everybody, so I have the utmost sympathy for women who have to deal with gender bias on top of that. Talent shortage my ass. Interviewers make up their mind based on something - some kind of projection that isn't you - and then make clowns of themselves while trying to rationalize whatever the prejudice was. Take this gem, from the lead engineer: "Well we get a lot of applicants who know C#, but they don't understand low-level." And? How is that my problem? Now how many idiotic interviewers out there are secretly thinking, "Yeah actually all the hardcore low-level coders I know are men, so..."

I've been ranting for years about how there is no talent shortage. It's just that hiring is broken, asinine, and fear-driven. I think I'll pivot to: There is no shortage of talented women. Not to the extent that it is made out to be. TL;DR: parent is correct. It isn't that they aren't there; it's that whoever isn't hiring them.