I applied online and the next day received an invitation for a phone interview. I don’t even know where to start. I have studied tourism management ( a qualification majority of their staff don’t have), also highly experienced retail staff and have travelled since I could walk. I spent a good 2days preparing for this interview and not to mention I’ve done reports on flight centre before so I was very aware of who they were. From the very moment I picked up the phone... let me tell you this girl had zero interest in anything that came out of my mouth and I could tell. Before I could even finish answering her questions she would push for the next question like she had better things to do and kept interrupting me. A huge part of me knew I wasn’t going to get the job. Reason 1. Flight centre as bluntly as I can put it has no regard or interest in diversifying their employees in fact You’ll be luck to see 1 non European/white staff member in that entire company, I mean look at their board of directors . Companies like these are the reason me along with many other students a similar background don’t pursue business or tourism. Because we understand that racism in Australia is live and well even though many people refuse to acknowledge it. I’ve been turned away many time from opportunities, without a single valid reason, or have been shown blunt disregard the moment I walk through the door. As a young African girl trying to make it in an industry that lacks people she can identify with, it was quite disheartening receiving an interview just for the interviewer to not even have any interest from the beginning of the call before I could even utter 2sentences. Secondly Agism is real. Throughout the call the interviewer reminded me how she thought I was too young for the position.(I’m 20) I have all the skills and experience for the position but she continued to make note of my age every chance she got. Beyond the fact that I’m being discriminated upon, due to my age, the girl who interviewed me tried to hide the fact that that’s the reason she didn’t want me (along with the diversity issue I spoke about) by saying that I didn’t have any retail experience. I HAVE 2-3 YEARS OF RETAIL EXPERIENCE. And when I told her that she goes “work somewhere like jb Hi-Fi” Flight centre you have ruined every good opinion I ever had of your company.