I'm a 34 year old female carpenter. I have over 10 years experience. As a carpenter, most jobs are seasonal and you get laid off during the winter. Instead of struggling through the winter on EI, I've decided to try and find some interior carpentry work. As well as applying for job postings online, I also made a Kijiji add.

"34 year old carpenter with 10 years experience. Looking to get on with a finish carpentry crew or trim crew..." It went on from there. Several days later I received a reply from a company in Lower Sackville that specializes in Trim work. The reply to my ad was,"Hi...I am in need of a Finish Carpenter for trim work...call and we can chat 902-xxx-xxxx.” Right on! I proceed to call so we can chat.

The instant the guy realizes I'm female he tries to tell me that he doesn't know why someone would have replied to my ad on his behalf because he doesn't require any help. Also, he refers to me as "dear" at least 20 times during our brief conversation, which is completely insulting after you've just answered the phone like you're talking to one of your boys, then immediately change to a degrading and condescending tone once you realize I'm female.

Fuck outta here with that shit! Regardless, I just take it as another one of the zillion times I've been treated like a delicate little fucking flower by some meat head, mouth breathing fuck boy in the construction industry. His loss, I'm an amazing carpenter.

So I continue my job search on Kijiji to look at the newly posted ads and come across one that says: "I have a position in my company for a Finish Carpenter. Looking for a reliable worker with 5+ years exp. in trimwork…" Sounds perfect! I click on the ad and SHOCKER! It's from the same jack ass that just minutes ago told me he “wasn't looking for anyone, dear.” I wish I could say your company name on here because females that will hire you might not if they knew you were the type of person that doesn't at least give women in trades a chance to prove themselves before turning into stereotypical stereotype. Jerk. Sorry I'm not sorry, but go to hell. I've worked with guys who admit they turned down females applying for jobs before, but after working with me they feel stupid for potentially throwing away great employees. I've worked my way from the shittiest jobs with horrible companies all the way to great jobs with someone the best companies in Nova Scotia. I've worked on everything from sewer back-ups in a trailer, to several million dollar homes designed by the best designers in Nova Scotia. I've proven myself time and time again through my amazing craftsmanship and amazing work ethic. I can carpenter circles around you or anyone on your crew! It's your loss asshole!

TO ALL OF HALIFAX: Hire women contractors. We're more honest. We're more reliable. We don't try to gouge you for no damn reason. We're less threatening than some douchy dude trudging through your property. We clean up after ourselves. etc. etc. etc. We've had to do better work just to be treated as equal on any job site since the beginning of time. That translates to us being better at our trades.

I wish I could leave you with a list of all the female carpenters and trades women I know. Because they've been working their asses off double as hard just to be treated the same as knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, less experience having idiots that are leading the industries.

I don't speak on behalf of all females in trades. Just my personal experiences. I don't hate men, either. Just the ones that act like the things they're so proud of: DICKS! —I Can Carpenter Circles Around You