Nursing a flowered cup and saucer in lap, the chair of the interview panel beamed to his male colleagues left and right before addressing the attentive young applicant with a final comment.
“Well, Miss McGoverin, we’re very impressed by your application for this vacancy, very impressed indeed. Your command of French, for instance, would be invaluable to our learning organisation. However, I notice, unfortunately, that you haven’t taken a course in shorthand. Would you agree that the lack of this skill would be a disadvantage outside your current post in education?” “Not necessarily. I’ve usually been able to type much faster than men can think.”
Neil Richardson
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