Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist

America is one of the most diverse countries in the world. People continue to come from all across the globe seeking opportunities here. Your job as an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist (EEO) is to make sure that every jobseeker receives a fair chance to compete for jobs. Typically, Equal Employment Opportunity Specialists work for large organizations—law firms, large corporations, government offices, etc.—and you often split your time between your own office and any number of satellite locations.

Your primary duty as an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist is to prevent the kind of discrimination that the EEO laws were put into place to stop—discrimination based on race, religion, gender, etc. Doing this means providing education. You teach employees (especially Human Resource Managers) what it means to uphold EEO laws, and how to avoid discrimination.

This is surprisingly complex—did you know you’re not allowed to ask someone about their age? Or about their family situation? It’s your job to know and share what is and isn’t permissible in the workplace, so you can keep the company and employees safe in their work environment.

When you’re not educating, you handle discrimination-related complaints. If a person dealing with your organization feels that he or she has been discriminated against, you investigate the claim and either take or advise appropriate action. This could include education or disciplinary action as dictated by the severity and veracity of the claim.

As an EEO Specialist, you stand up for people of all races, creeds, colors, genders, physical and mental abilities, and sexual orientations, to protect them from prejudice and discrimination. To do this well, you need intimate knowledge of employment and discrimination law, and the tenacity to apply that law to the internal governance of your organization.