'Only for boys' help-wanted ad galls tradeswoman

A help-wanted ad indicating that women need not apply is proof that sexism is alive and well in the auto industry, according to an Edmonton tradeswoman.

Sir Auto and Financing posted an Kijiji ad on April 3rd, looking to hire a "motivated"  and "ambitious" worker for a full time auto-detailing position at their Edmonton shop.

But the advertisement makes it clear that only resumes from male applicants would be considered by the used-car dealership. 

"Please reply by attaching your resume. Only for boys," reads the job posting.

Eliza Halter came across the ad while helping her partner — who was recently laid off from her job as a heavy-duty mechanic — search for work.

"I was pretty upset. I got pretty up in arms about it," Halter said in an interview Wednesday on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

"To see such a blatant stereotype while even just looking for a job is incredibly discouraging."

A shop manager with Sir Auto and Financing, who declined to provide his name, said he advertised for male applicants because a woman might struggle with the manual labour required and that there would often be no one else around to help with the "heavy lifting."

However, after the call by CBC News, the company removed the clause from the posting, which has since been removed entirely.

Nevertheless, the rationale behind the sexist ad still makes Halter, who works in the residential-siding industry, cringe.

"I know women who can out-lift the men. And I know lots of women who are in physical labour jobs who do a great job. I started doing physical labour and now I'm a field supervisor for my company," Halter said.

"We can do the heavy lifting too."

Halter says women in the trades still struggle for equal opportunity, something she experienced firsthand when she was still looking for work.

"I could apply for 'x' amount of jobs, but always knew that because I was a  lady I wasn't going to get the call back. I've had people tell me I should change my name to Eli so I get the call back, but that's not going to help me when I get to the interview."

Although Halter says her company has been fully supportive of her career, she still encounters sexism on the worksite, and gaining respect in a male-dominated industry hasn't always been easy.

"You can do twice the work, and you're treated like you've only done half of it," she said.

"You have to work twice as hard as the men. It's very frustrating."

Although Halter has no intentions of filing a complaint against the Sir Auto and Financing, she takes her concerns public through social media.

"I wanted to raise awareness. People know that women can do the work too. And to hold onto those old notions that only men can do labour jobs, and the heavy lifting, it's just unfair. It's very backwards."