Plastic surgery is the next must-have career tool. Maybe
Brace yourself for the most thorough compendium of research I’ve seen about how good-looking people get more of everything. The book is Looks: Why They Matter More than You Ever Imagined, by Gordon Patzer, professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago and former dean at California State University.
It is well-documented that good-looking people make more money than everyone else. Taller men make more money than shorter men. If a woman is just 13 pounds overweight, she is penalized at work. (Hat tip: Recruiting Animal.)
We are hard-wired to treat good-looking people better and it’s pretty much impossible to overcome this tendency. Patzer shows that this salary discrepancy is true even in law firms, where the partners doing the hiring are acutely aware of how illegal it is to favor good-looking people. Researchers at University of Texas, found that even mothers treat good-looking children better than average-looking ones.
Unintentionally, of course.
Before you complain about how unfair all this is, Patzer shows that good-looking people are actually better for the company’s bottom line. This is because highly attractive people actually earn more money for a company than average looking people. One study in Holland, for example, showed that companies with better looking management consistently billed more hours at higher rates than companies with average looking management.
And, while good-looking executives cost a company more money (because they have higher salaries), they actually increase the bottom line so much that the unconscious premium in pay that people give to the good-looking is actually a wise investment.
So what should you do if you are not good looking?
1. Stay out of sales and management.
These areas are where tall, good-looking people have the strongest advantage in objective performance measures, according to a study by management professors Daniel Cable, of the University of North Carolina, and Timothy Judge of University of Florida. This makes sense to me because leadership is so much about charisma, and charisma is so much about looks. And it makes sense that people will buy more stuff from you if they are attracted to you. (Hence the huge industry of turning cheerleaders into salesgirls.)
2. Be honest with yourself.
The more honest we are about where looks matter a lot, the less time we’ll waste doing something we probably won’t excel at. (This is where women have an advantage over men because women better understand where they fall in the spectrum of good-looking.)
For example, all else being equal, a good-looking woman will negotiate better for a company than anyone else—even a good-looking man, according to research by Sara Solnick of the University of Miami and Maurice Schweitzer from Wharton. Good-looking women drive harder bargains than everyone else, and good-looking women get more concessions than anyone else. (Makes sense, right? Since these are the women in highest demand for reproducing, the genes for good looks must come with genes for having a sense of entitlement when it comes to negotiating a good deal.)
3. Get plastic surgery. Maybe.
Before you get all over me about how insane this advice is, think about this: When I was a young girl, I remember hearing women talk about if it was “okay to dye your hair.” Today we don’t think twice about it. No one cares if you do or don’t, and many styles actually emphasize unnatural hair colors.
To be honest, I am way too scared to cut anything on myself. But still, plastic surgery makes total sense to me.
We don’t flinch when we hear that Cameron Diaz got a nose job or Brad Pitt had his ears pinned. It seems like a reasonable thing to do given their profession. And look at Chelsea Clinton. She did a few changes just as she hit the adult world as a consultant at McKinsey. She’s not an idiot, and she certainly does not seem obsessed by her appearance. But she realized that she was not great looking, and the plastic surgery seems to have made some improvements.
And just ten years ago, I remember talking with my friends about how gross Botox is. But my friend Sharon, who is a hairstylist in Los Angeles, says that the majority of her clients—who range from normal housewives to corporate lawyers—have had some sort of Botox injection. She says it’s so mainstream in Los Angeles that it’s almost a statement if you don’t have it.
My editor tells me that I’m going to get killed with this post. So here is my first pre-emptive strike: This post stems from my genuine worry that I will be behind the curve. I worry that I will be philosophizing about plastic surgery while everyone else is getting it and not even thinking about it. Like Botox. Or, here’s another example: Shaving off all of one’s pubic hair. Gen Xers debate it and philosophize about it while I just learned from Cosmo magazine that more than 75% of women in their 20’s just do it. No big deal.
Second pre-emptive strike: Every woman I know who is considering plastic surgery after having kids never ever would have considered it before that. It’s a time-of-life thing more than anything else, I think.
So my prediction is that soon we will all capitulate to the undeniable evidence that we have more opportunity in life if we are better looking, and it’s relatively easy to buy good looks. So we will. It will be something everyone does as they graduate from college, and not just the most rich and privileged kids. Plastic surgery will be for the go-getters and career-minded. Just you wait and see.
I should read this post before commenting but time is so limited so I’m not going to. I stopped reading after the first paragraph. It’s not that I don’t think there’s some grain of truth to this (I tend to think that if the discussion exists at all, no matter how outrageous, well then it is factual, even if only marginally so). It’s just, there’s so so many ugly and fat men who make a lot of money and have a ton of power, that this dog just won’t hunt. Sorry.
Maybe it’s because I read a ton of research all day, have studied it for years, and can smell bad studies that don’t meet even the most basic parameters of scientific inquiry a mile away. Or maybe it’s because I find your practical career tips with a personal bent so much more compelling than these really far-reaching, meant-to-be- inflammatory posts. So, I’ll just skip over it, take what I like, and leave the rest. Ta!
A couple of posts ago you brought up anal sex, and now it’s Pube Plucking for Career Success!
I can’t wait to hear your opinions on the latest trend of anal bleaching (see, e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_bleaching).
I’ll even give you the title for that post for free: What Color Is Your Poop Chute?
Great post, Penelope! There are two points I’d like to add:
1) You know someone is a great salesperson (even if that’s not his/her profession) if his/her mate is much better looking. I’ve seen average-looking people be held in higher esteem after others meet the babe or hunk on their arms. Employers know that that person must have great sales skills – thus much more desireable – when this is the case.
2) If the sale is between two equally good looking salespeople with equal sales skills, the sale will always, ALWAYS go to the taller one. (Says the 5-9 former salesman)
– Mike
I was right on track with you until I read this:
“This makes sense to me because leadership is so much about charisma, and charisma is so much about looks.”
Now, for you, that may seem true, but I think that’s a VERY heavy statement to write. You have missed the point completely on charisma, which is most definitely not something you can attain by getting plastic surgery. Charisma is something people have within them and can only be expressed by truly charismatic people.
Your equation is backwards, in my opinion. We VIEW charismatic people as more attractive, but that attraction is more about how that person carries themself. It’s not about plastic surgery or making the outside more “pretty.” That’s just a cop out.
There’s WAY MORE RESEARCH that PROVES that attraction and charisma is subjective and definitely reliant on how the person acts. It outnumbers the research you have to back up that “leadership is so much about charisma, and charisma is so much about looks.”
I admire your candidness about this, but I think there are some things you’ve missed. It’s a shallow representation of the work place and doesn’t even take into account WHY these people are attractive, but ASSUMING that they all look like models, when, chances are… they don’t.
I just have 2 words for this…Olivia Goldsmith. She died on the operating table during cosmetic surgery at 54. She was one of my favorite writers and I was blown away when I heard about her death. She had seemingly everything … numerous books, books turned into movies. One of her novels was even about plastic surgery, so she knew the problem. But I guess nothing helped her lack of self-worth.
It’s been shown that even before infants can see clearly (their vision is very blurry for many months as they develop) they favour a good looking face. Symmetry and eyes are very telling. They are more trusting of a good looking person – which is true throughout life.
Penelope,
I have to agree with your post but want to look at it from a slightly different angle. My four year old son has Down syndrome but doesn’t “look” like he does. He doesn’t have the typical features many people associate with Down syndrome. He is a rather cute little boy with a sweet personality. He has several classmates with Down syndrome who all exhibit greater features of DS. At the risk of offending people these other students look like Corky from Life Goes On. My point is this. My son gets more positive attention from the teachers and staff than his peers. My wife and I are convinced it is because of his looks and personality. It may not be right, but it’s a fact of life.
@h-j-s:
I cannot wait for this show!
Wow, the entertainment value of these posts just keep going up. Forget about career topics like the Wall Street Journal reporting today on how tough it is for the Class of 2008 to get a job, or writing about the increase in the unemployment rate, or how Boomers are delaying retirement and the effects that will have on Gen Y, or even writing about how tough it is for returning Iraqi War veterans to get a job; Penelope is going with Anal Sex, Pubic Hair, Plastic surgery and advocating the elimination of proper grammer/spelling.
And we love her for it! Admit it, other then some of the more nakedly ambitious Gen Y’ers who post here just to promote their unread, poorly written blogs; most of us just love the sheer entertainment value of a woman who is obviously living on the edge. From “brazen” topics to calling another woman writer “fatty” to the name changes, to the offending appearances at blog conferences and checkered, slightly altered biography; I cannot think of another more fascinating blog. Throw in all the guys with their lame flattery in the hopes she’ll email them or have sex with them when she is on the road; and I say keep passing the popcorn! To be honest, I’m not sure who comes off looking the worse for it.
Regarding the plastic surgery post, I am curious about this sentence:
“My editor tells me that I'm going to get killed with this post”
Do you really have an editor for your own blog or was this a recycled post?
And I work for the government here in the OC; your LA and S. Cal references are laughable for their generalizations. It is only a small part of the society buying into the celebrity myth; usually the shallow, vain yet curiously deeply insecure part. The working poor especially have no use for it neither do the large immigrant/ethnic populations. And frankly, most normal, well-adjusted people don’t have the time either.
You imply that Penelope advocates bad spelling and poor grammar. Yet you have a spelling mistake in your reply.
“Admit it, other then some of the more nakedly ambitious…”
The “then” in the sentence above should be spelt “than”. I am correct, no?
As a lawyer, I’ve never heard of any law which makes it “illegal” to discriminate based on good looks. Discrimination based on race, national origin, color, religion, or sex — all of these very illegal, as has been well documented. But discrimination based on ugliness? Maybe it depends on the state, but I’ve never heard of it. I’m not sure where Patzer is getting the information here.
Generally, employers are free to set dress codes and appearance standards, including requiring a “professional” look. And courts around the country have said companies can set different rules for men and women about hair length, jewelry, and clothing.
There are some limits, of course. Michigan has a statute barring discrimination based on height and weight, for instance. Obesity is considered a disability in several other states. The regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act say employers can’t refuse to hire qualified workers who have conditions that do not interfere with their ability to do their jobs, such as medical conditions that periodically cause some involuntary movements, skin pigmentation problems, harelips or other facial disfigurements. Fear of customer or co-worker reaction is simply not a legitimate business reason. (29 C.F.R. 1630.16)
A good rule of thumb is if the appearance is a result of personal choice, such as a tattoo, piercing, hair color, slovenliness, then you can choose not to hire that person. If it is something beyond their control like a birth defect, that should not be held against them. To be safe, assume obesity falls into the latter category.
Do. Not. Read. Cosmo.
The gist of this post – that looks matter, I agree with.
But for most people, it’s really hard to make yourself good-looking through plastic surgery, so it’s not a good career move to do it since the results will probably only be temporary. As you mentioned in one of the comments, it’s difficult to change who you are on the inside only by looking on the outside.
I also think that the notion of what is good-looking and beauty in general is changing and for the better. A lot of young people don’t care about this so much, and their extreme self-confidence to begin with does make them quite attractive.
Beauty is uniqueness, more now than in the past hundred years or so.
Every time I look in the mirror I think “it’s a good thing I’m a cartoonist.”
You’ll find me under the knife (regardless of the type of surgery) as a last resort. If you want to improve your appearance the first place to start is with yourself by implementing a nutritious and controlled calorie diet, an exercise plan, and adequate sleep. It’s not easy to put into action and maintain as part of your lifestyle but the benefits are worth the effort. You gain a more toned body and improved mental and physical health with a new self confidence because it was you who made these things possible. It’s old fashioned advice because it’s still true. If the above doesn’t work to your satisfaction you’ll at least have picked up some good habits. It may be that plastic surgery will be for the go-getters and career-minded. It’s a herd I don’t need to or will follow.
Interesting post…I just got back from a conference where there were legions of Botoxed-Betties wandering about. Frankly, it is not attractive. Contrast this over-done, made-up fakery with the true beauty of a woman like Jane Goddall (who also spoke at the conference). She is accomplished, successful, lovely, seventy, with a simple ponytail and a serene (and unsurgically-altered) face. The sad fact is that no matter how much surgery you have, you only delay the inevitable — we’ll all be old ladies soon. Better to focus on being an interesting person with something in your head and something to say.
Somewhat sad, but true. I see it in my own firm, where people with a better appearance tend to climb higher. However, I’ve also seen a lot of women (and men, but in a different capacity) who are not attractive by any means, but have made the climb due to being (pardon my tone) an outright bitch. No charisma whatsoever.
That being said, I’m fortunate that I am 6’1″, athletic build with a full head of hair. I’m sure it’s gotten me somewhere. And being white has helped as well, unfortunately.
I was blown away by the audacity of this post, but even more disgusted by all the commenters who agree! What a sad, sad state of affairs it is when a great career blog and all the followers are thinking “yeah, it’s perfectly reasonable to get major surgery and adapt to society’s beauty standards if it will improve my career”
I thought we had advanced a bit more. This is the 21st century, afterall. Rather than focusing on that which we have little control over (the looks we were born with) why don’t we focus on that which we have a great deal of control over — our skills, our adaptability, our education, our competency. Oh wait, you can control your looks — just spend thousands of dollars on plastic surgery, it will do wonders for your career!
What kind of values are you guys teaching your kids by this?
How depressing. Maybe you all need to get outside in this nice weather, enjoy the company of great people, and, you know, live your life instead of living to work?
Scrap this blog, why don’t we just all head over to hotornot.com?
But then again, I guess you’re not called Brazen for nothing!
I always wanted to talk about pubic hair in my career oriented articles but I could never figure out how to slip it in. Thanks for showing the way.
I’m approaching 50 much faster than I’d like to think. (Is it okay that I’m reading Penelope Trunk?)I subscribe to the Maya Angelo philosophy of a Phenomenal Woman, not as a consolation since I’m pleasant-looking enough, but because I see great truth in it.
A woman – or man – is so much more beautiful when they display a confidence and happiness within themselves. A so-so looking woman who is well put together in terms of grooming and dress, carries herself well and smiles is much more attractive than the beautiful woman who lacks confidence and continuously frets about her looks. Is this just my opinion? Maybe. But I’ve observed lots of evidence to back it up.
To the poster approaching 40 and thinking more openly of plastic surgery– know thyself and love thyself! I’ve loved my decade of being 40. It’s been liberating. I’ve finally accepted the cards I’ve been dealt and learned to appreciate who I am, which for women is always a tough thing to do.
As for shaving…cripes, doesn’t it itch?!
What about people who overestimate their appearance? What becomes of those who think they are more attractive than others perceive them to be? Is it that people treat more attractive people better, or is that people who think they are attractive are more confident and therefore become a bit more successful because of that confidence?
Your money or your life?
Remember that surgery comes with greater risks than lower salaries: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23807734/
Penelope,
All the data you cited is probably sound; it’s your conclusion I take issue with. I don’t think good-looking people are charismatic because they’re good-looking; I think it’s because they’re confident. In fact, I think a large part of good looks comes from confidence. You say that “women have an advantage over men because women better understand where they fall in the spectrum of good-looking,” but I think you’ve got it backwards. I’m a guy and not a terribly good-looking one, but I SEE myself as good-looking (sorry, we can’t help it). And that delusion has done my career a world of good. And you’re calling it a DISadvantage?
And as for boob jobs — are there guys out there who respond to that? If so, I don’t know any.
Attractiveness/charisma includes more that just genetic looks. There are simple things every person can control such as looking trim & fit by exercising, dressing well and projecting a good personality.
My point here is I don’t like the idea that an unattractive individual can’t be successful & take control. Plastic surgery is too rampant today & uniqueness is not appreciated. (Has Jennifer Grey done anything since she got her nose fixed?) I fear that the world is becoming like that Ethan Hawk movie “Gattaca” where everyone is pigeonholed based on genetic characteristics. While attractiveness doesn’t hurt it sure doesn’t guarantee anything.
Interesting post. I totally agree. I wouldn’t reccommend going out and getting surgery for an upcoming job search but I would say losing that extra 10 lbs can go a long way for most people.
Also, a great smile can make the world of difference. So I would definately recommend invisilign for someone who has crooked or overlapping, or gapped teeth, and white strips work wonders.
Wow… I think I value freedom from makeup and from appearance-enhancing surgery a lot more than I would value whatever increment to my salary might result from embracing them. I’ll just have to get by with whatever brains and charm can accomplish without them.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post. I worked at Guidant for 10 years, and the CEO was Ron Dollens, a gnome-like man who stood 5’7″, stocky build, goofy grin and a bump on his chin. But Ron was a dynamic salesman who could rally employees. He was likeable, approachable, and retired rich. There are too many other factors in success to isolate looks as the prime ingredient to success.
This presumes that plastic surgery makes you better looking. I’m not convinced that’s actually the case.
PS I think you’ll find that when pubic hair is removed, the method of choice is waxing rather than shaving. It’s not somewhere that you want stubble.
I totally agree with you. I don’t know if it’s necessarily true that blondes have more fun, but I think it’s definitely true that good-looking people do. Whether it helps you get a job, a date, a better deal on a car–whatever–the reality is that looks matter in this world.
I’m the first to admit I’ve had “work done.” I know it’s helped me succeed because it’s given me confidence–and confidence, in my opinion, matters as much as looks do. I was lucky because when I got my “enhancements,” I was home with kids and not working so didn’t have to deal with showing up at the office on Monday 3 cup sizes larger; I do think that may not have worked in my favor. But showing up at an interview now…I can’t say it’s hurt me.
Same with botox–I wouldn’t want to show up at work with huge bee-stung lips or scabs from a face-lift, but I have no problem with people thinking I’m younger than I am. One thing is for sure–regardless of whether looks matter in the work world, age most definitely does, especially if you’re a woman.
The weird thing is that even though I’ve had this stuff done I STILL judge other women who have the same things done. I know I get just as many points deducted for looking the way I do as I get added – I'm not so naive to think that everyone looks at me and thinks gee, she looks great! I think ultimately it’s more about confidence than looks; I feel better about myself and I know that comes across in the way I present myself. I don’t think a smooth forehead and a nice rack would necessarily get me a job, but if it helps me come across as more polished and professional I'm sure not complaining.
I must agree, when I was 20lbs lighter, the reception got from people was must different than the one I get now. Then I was treated as automatically “in the know” and it was assumed I had something to contribute to the conversation (I’m a writer, I talk to lots of people). Now, people make the assumption that I know very little, and am less than articulate.
That’s why when I can, I conduct my business via email. That way I don’t have to explain to those I am talking to that yes, I am familiar with contemporary theories in my field. Plus, you don’t see the shock/sadness/smugness in peoples’ eyes upon lumbering into a room.
This is why I loved the cartoon in the New Yorker showing a little dog at a computer: It says: “On the internet no one knows your a dog”. Most of my clients think I am younger than I am, and e-mail is the reason.
Regarding face lifts etc: make sure you don’t have to go anywhere for 6 weeks after words, otherwise people will think you were a victim of a crime or spousal abuse. Its worth it but you have to plann your life around it.
Very interesting post – and one that I think makes a lot of valid points.
This isn’t a new idea, or news, to anyone who has been in high school. It’s startling to be reminded, though, of the power of appearance in what we often see as a meritocracy.
I think someone in your comments thread made a valid point, too – looks, like connections or famous parents, can get your foot in the door. But then to sustain that momentum, you really have to bring it in terms of talent, intelligence, and know-how.
I’m a clean-cut, well-dressed guy, but I am also overweight. (And not by a little.) I’ve observed an inverse corollary to your statement – that many people underestimate my creativity, intelligence and knowledge. I actually use this to my advantage, because people seldom anticipate the strengths of my contributions and are caught by surprise – in some cases, this is the ‘opening’ I need to get that proverbial foot in the door, as it were.
Okay, this just opens the door for a huge societal flaw discussion. Before I dive into that, a quick note on point 1. Stay out of sales and management – I can almost agree with this from a Sales perspective but not so much in management. True, an attractive person would have an advantage out of the gate, but once you are in the door, you can prove yourself so valuable in management that your looks won’t matter.
So, back to my main point, and please bear with me while I attempt to make this point. You bring up a bunch of facts that are true but I don’t think they are true to a basic a level. I closely relate this to a problem in society that has bothered be for a long time. I call it Vocabulary victims. I grew up on the poor side of the tracks in a 80% Hispanic community. Of that 80% Chicano student base, about 10% of us could actually speak Spanish. About 90% of that student base had parents where English was a second language even though Spanish was not taught to the children. What you end up with is a culture of students with lousy vocabulary, terrible grammar, and they don’t even have the excuse of English being their second language. I’m 40 years old and still trying to overcome this obstacle.
Now, these students grow up dealing with “outsiders” that have a massive vocabulary, great grammar, and clean American English with no accent. This creates a self-esteem issue that I thought was unparalleled until you brought up this topic on looks. What you have is people that are actually very intelligent and probably have abilities beyond belief that could contribute to the advancement of our society. They problem is, they themselves believe that they are inferior and begin to loose faith in their own level of intelligence when they interact with outsiders. This interaction with outsiders starts at a very young age and increases in frequency as they continue to grow until finally, they are adults that must interact with American public. The thought they have (but will never admit) is this – I can’t speak like that person so I must not be as smart as they are. I have yet to figure out a way to combat this problem but your topic on looks is very similar. A person that grows up being “not so good looking” encounters a similar growing up experience that beats on their self esteem day after day into adulthood.
The point I’m trying to make is this. Whatever the cause is, it comes down to self esteem. If you believe in yourself, you are Good Looking! For example, Bette Midler is Beautiful.
“dumming down”. Are you serious???
OMG. I’m sorry, but this is the reason why places like LA and Florida really are the seventh layer of hell, and why the dumming down of America in the 20th and 21st century is a sad truth. At least one good thing about the slowing of the economy is that maybe people will start to reevaluate themselves and their values. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be attractive, healthy, sexy or vigorous, and if a little work can help you out, then fine. But really. Really? I agree, this version of the future is bleak and while I’m all for career and confidence, let’s take at ourselves and how twisted the media and these so called truths being touted by Cosmo has forced us to become. Do some yoga and meditate, and invest in psychotherapy first. You will sparkle from the inside you, and you’ll have much better friends.
Here it is: Penelope says what others think. Had a guy friend who got a full facelift in his mid-40s and that was more than a dozen years ago – but I’m in CA. Very tough healing process – incredibly painful. Did he look better – yes.
Penelope,
The career improving aspects of plastic surgery seem shallow to me, a mid-thirties male, who’s had plastic surgery. I think that what you propose is accurate, if somewhat vane. If getting plastic surgery is going to allow a person to pursue their dreams with a higher likelihood of success, then I understand it. I wish it weren’t this way, but in reality I find that over time some folks in every walk of life have at least one hurdle cleared if they are attractive.
My choice to get my gynecomastia (man-boobs, for the under-informed) removed was difficult. In the looks department, man-boobs are severely distracting to folks especially if they are on a tall guy (my experience.) This was a very painful operation with a long recovery and the release from people looking at them has been priceless. I am a decent looking thin-haired guy with a mild swagger, a master’s degree, professional job, and people generally find me enjoyable. The man-boobs issue for me started at age 6, and I’ve heard/experienced every distasteful comment imaginable. I found it difficult to deal with the uncomfortable social situations/invitations where they(man-boobs)are either going to be on display, or a weird excuse must be concocted to avoid a fun activity with family and friends. If I find that my career is enhanced because I spend less mental and emotional time dealing with the distraction of concealing my chest, then I am further pleased with my decision.
I feel like the uncomfortable elephant in the room has left and now I don’t have to pretend I didn’t notice someone taking 3rd and 4th glances to confirm what they saw. I am still recovering from the surgery and my outlook and sense of freedom from the daily stigma for 30 years is still difficult to put into words. Clearly, making the decision to risk my health and wellness was serious. I don’t regret it but it took nearly 10 years for me to move forward with the procedure.
At this point, the caring people I have in my personal and professional life have been very understanding and are encouraged by the action I took to deal with my problem. I have no intention of having another procedure done. If someone asks me about my experience to help them decide about their own, I envision discussing their goals and whether the procedure will help accomplish them. Personal risks vs. personal rewards I think, are the most important factors in this arena of modern life. Thanks for the pot-stirring post.
-Craig
i think ‘someone’ here is just releasing their pent up paranoid fears of why they may not have gotten what/where they want.
Hey, Penelope. I just wanted to apologize for leaving a comment about this post without reading it. That was pretty rude and dumb.
Penelope..wow, I’m just wondering if some of your most recent posts are being driven by a desire to “go extreme” in order to drive wbesite traffic, or…well I’ll hold that other thought.
So all of us not tall enough, not good looking enough people should avoid sales & management because these “studies” show we won’t earn as much? C’mon – you’ve raised enough venture capital in your time – Wall Street is completely dominated by far too many folks that may have been hit more than once by the ugly stick.
Speaking of that study you link to, it begins by saying once you factor out variables such as education & experience? Come again – what other variables did they exclude…the ability to actually be articulate or to think?
And one last comment in this rambling reply. Your observaton of some major pharmas now hiring former cheerleaders to be salespeople, are you aware of how the dynamics of this job has changed. The title of that role is sales person, the description of the requirements reads more like spokes model.
I’m sorry, in my book smart is still the “sexiest”. Looks and height may be wonderful things for popularity contests and ill defined sales positions, but I’ll take my chances with personality, intelligience and knowledge any day.
Penelope’s right. Right or wrong, it’s true. I’ve definitely noticed that (especially with older men) some negotiaitons are easier- my professional demeanor aside- because I’m a pretty twenty-something.
Let’s take the conversation a step further though. If attractiveness/beauty plays such a determining role in career success, we must ask ourselves what is recognized as “beauty” in America (and I speak largely of female beauty).
It’s no secret that our society has an implicit heirarchy of beauty, and the darker one’s skin and the “black”-er one’s features, the lower one falls on that heirarhy. Recall the Harvard study that shows that most people (black people included) demonstrate a preference for “white.”
Everyone is familiar with the dialogue on overt racism. But next time we ask why there aren’t more African Americans at high levels of industry, perhaps one of the reasons is tied to Penelope’s point here– people hire, nurture, and respond well to people they think are good looking. There are always exceptions, but if dark skin and “black” features are (generally speaking) not considered good looking, where does that leave us?
Jennifer, it leaves you working for me. I got hired as the CIO of a growing mid size industrial manufacturing company, and our IT department is perhaps the most ethnically diversified department in the company. At last count, (still doing some hiring), there are at least 27 different (spoken) languages in the various parts of IT. None of us are the ‘spokesmodel’ type, and at least 70% of us are on the Autism/Asperger scale, but we work well together and get things done.
I know this comment is coming kind of late, but I think this also depends a lot on the industry that you’re in. People is pharma, sales, and certain service careers (bartending, stripping, etc.) can certainly have their careers enhanced by having surgery. But in most of the country there are careers where this wouldn’t make too much of a difference, if not be a detriment (writing, academia, even politics for women). I think that each career has an aesthetic ideal (or two) that often correlates more to a sense of style than a perfect nose. Making sure that you’re presentable, stylish, and interesting will still get you a lot farther than having this kind of boring LA/Miami look, at least in the Midwest.
Add college professors to the list of people who benefit professionally from cosmetic surgery. Case in point: an “older” adjunct professor of English that had Botox and finally got a full-time job (http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2008/04/2008041401c/careers.h
tml)
Sorry P. I disagree. Ugly babies? Um I’m not even going to try to figure out where you got that research from.
First I don’t consider myself particularly attractive. I’ve always been overweight. Muscley from kickboxing and other martial arts. I hate makeup, my hair spends most of its time in a pony tail or a bun or a cap. I’ve made more money and have a much better career than any of the polished pampered princesses (Oh they were visions of loveliness) I went to school with.
I keep in touch. Most of them are sadly pregnant with a bunch of kids and hating their lives husbands and jobs. These are private school kids that were given everything by their parents including surgery to correct ‘problems’.
I won’t bore you with statistics as you can pretty much say what ever you like with them but I’m fairly certain attractiveness comes with a host of issues in its own right that I couldn’t be bothered to deal with.
I’ll tell you what worked for me. I’m smart as f*. Razor intellect got me where I am. Anything I put my mind to it happens. That sort of confidence shines through in my work and in my dealings with co-workers and all of the management teams I’ve ever had to work with. (I’m sitting at the head of the programming department for a top ten hospital chain.) Confidence doesn’t have to stem from what you see in the mirror. It isn’t bound up in your clothes or having the right hair or the right cheek bones. If a person needs these things to further their ends I’m not going to look down on them. But I will say that people don’t need these things to be successful in the work world. In sales or anything else. All a person needs to do is know themselves. Know their limits and their job well enough to project the right attitude.
P, you gets the FIE for making it sound other wise.
-Diz
Despair.com said it best and has the last word.
http://www.despair.com/beauty.html
I would also note that in most instances and in most places it is not illegal to hire someone because they are attractive (or unattractive).
http://www.laborlawyers.com/showarticle.aspx?Ref=list&Type=1119&Cat=3387&Show=10362
Penelope – you know that I love you but this one takes me back to when you and I first met in cyberspace back when you wrote about this same topic at 2.0. You know me and you know that I look like. Sure I think I’m quite an attractive package (and my husband would agree) but mainstream society might not agree with the junk in my trunk. You also know that I’ve been uber successful in my sales career. Looks haven’t held me back whatsoever, it’s what is between my ears that has gotten me to where I am. Well, that and my cute smile…
I just don’t want folks starting out to use something like this as a crutch that prevents them for going for it. I’ve always found that substance (and tangible results) matter more to most people over the package.
Penelope-
I like the comment
” a good-looking woman will negotiate better for a company than anyone else – even a good-looking man, according to research by Sara Solnick of the University of Miami and Maurice Schweitzer from Wharton. Good-looking women drive harder bargains than everyone else.”
Any chance you have a recommendation for a good book that covers better negotiating and bargaining strategies for women?
It’s time we HR Pros put an end to this kind of blatant elitism! Here are some ideas of what HR can do to stem the tide of over-valuing physical beauty:
1) To avoid sizeism, heightism and lookism, all Recruiters and Employment Specialists shall wear blindfolds while conducting interviews. HR Pros shall refrain from making decisions based on how attractive, fit or tall a candidate might be.
2) To avoid discriminatng against candidates or employees with whiny or mousey voices, or those who have loud eructations: voice modulators shall be used on all telephones in HR Offices, so as to not allow applicant or employee voices & bodily noises to influence HR perceptions and decisions.
3) To avoid discriminating against the malodorous, sudoriferous and the flatulent: self-contained breathing apparatus shall be worn during same-room encounters between HR Professionals and any employee or potential employee.
If we HR folks don’t stand up for the stinky, the homely and the ill-favored, who will?