beauty DOES matter!!!!

@raclie (1732)
Singapore
July 11, 2008 2:15am CST
so i have heard about something that is really interesting for everyone who are looking for a job out there... it seems, if a company has a vacancy for a job, and have a few replies, about 10, they will read all the applications. however, when they have a few hundred applications, they will not read, but just see all the pictures and pick the few better looking ones, then they will look at their qulifications... so...wow... beauty DOES matter!!! even in a working situation...
3 people like this
26 responses
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
11 Jul 08
Where did you get such information from? Is your source reliable? How good is this source of yours? Are you very sure this is happening? Making a statement is one thing. To make a sweeping statement like that, you gotta give a little facts to back it up in order for it to look legit.
@raclie (1732)
• Singapore
16 Jul 08
it is from someone working in the human resourse management in f&n.... and he ha been wrking there for about...20 years? not sure... but it is over a decade... thanks... i will remember that next time....
@joliefille (3690)
• Philippines
11 Jul 08
There may be some jobs out there that require a pretty face but for other jobs, I think it's unfair if the HR person just looks at the picture and trashes the other resumes. Even when I interviewed some applicants before, I make sure I check their resumes thoroughly and see if they have the qualifications. This is not to belittle anyone with a pretty face but I did interview a few girls who were really pretty they could've landed a job on tv but unfortunately they sucked in the interviews.
@tigertang (1749)
• Singapore
11 Jul 08
Well, I would not go out of the way to say that beauty is the be all and end all in hiring but appearances and impressions do matter. So, while not all of us may look like Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt, all of us can make the effort to present ourselves in a decent and presentable manner. Perhaps it is shallow, but it remains a fact of life that impressions and cosmetics do matter, particularly to the people who hire. Not everyone can look like Brad Pitt but at least you want the people representing you to look good and project a decent image of the company to the world at large. Imagine, two candidates come for a job. Candidate A is a PhD, while Candidate B only has a bachelor degree. Technically candidate A is smarter and you should hire him. But then you meet the candidates. A walks into the room with greasy hair, crumpled cloths and smells. B walks into the room with a clean looking hair cut, a sharp looking suit and wears decent aftershave. Which one are you likely to want to be around? Lack of attention to basic grooming has often been the undoing of many highly qualified people. Of course it depends on the job. Some jobs, like those in creativity or high end research may call for a little ecentricity. Candidate A might be the world's best scientist and be perfect for the labs, but he definately would not be the one that you place in a position where the customers would be able to see him. Does beauty count? Well, perhaps it does and it is unfair. But then again, life is unfair and the only thing we can do is to make sure that we do give the right impression when we go for job interviews. There's no point in relying solely on a CV...most HR people realize that we do embellish them and so it is important to win the job in a face-to-face situation, and for such situations, it is important to make sure you make the right impression.
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
12 Jul 08
for me beauty is useless if it your not fit for your work,im not quit sure it just they will pick you up because of your beauty, maybe for fashion or beauty prudoct yes, but in other company no way, they need that yout fit in that field.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
15 Jul 08
When I went to look for a secretarial job, I had acne even though I use Clearesal and the other stuff my father recommended and I was sort of on the short side, so I never got the job where I faced people. I was always in the back. Also my hair went frizzy when I went out in the rain. Those who could look perfectly coiffured got the best jobs. Yet I was a fast typist even on a manual and I could talk to anybody. It was just that that bad case of acne did it for me.
• United States
13 Jul 08
I have been a part of recruiting and hiring in my thirty years of Human Resources Management in the USA and beleive me, beauty or lack thereof, has nothing to do with the hiring process. For one, we do not keep and rarely receive a picture of an applicant. It is considered inapprorpriate to send a picture along with a resume or an application to a US employer. If that would happen it would be disposed of. There are too many other issues that we have to look for to include a picture. We could care less what you look like and frankly for those people who think they are too old, that is a plus for us. If we find that a department representative who is the peson that would be hiring and supervising the applicant is gearing towards a particular person (discriminating in favor of a certain type or against a certain type) rather than considering qualifications, we step in and guide that person to the qualifications issue of the applicant. The departments do get to choose the person that they think they can more closely work with but they do not get to discriminate. I hope that his answer eases the mind of a lot of people when they apply for jobs
@msedge (4011)
• United States
16 Jul 08
Yes it does to most companies.They mostly give more percentage to personal outlook.Actually you don't need to be beautiful you just have to look descent,smart and presentable.
@shinjiao (1457)
• China
12 Jul 08
Partly I agree with your observation.Beauty does matter but beauty does not represent everything of you,especially your ability in your profession!So be confident in yourself!A job application with remarkable selling point is much more attractive than a beautiful photo!
• United States
11 Jul 08
It's just human nature to want pretty people surrounding us. And this applies in the job situation. What's pretty in one culture may not be considered pretty in another culture. So it would definitely depend on the environment and society. In the US, the pretty people do get all the best jobs, even when they are not qualified! That goes for both men and women. America is a face based society.
• United States
12 Jul 08
For jobs that hire only for beauty of women is a corrupted system since there are many people who have what it takes to work and do the job whether they are physically attractive or not. Living here in San Diego there are people who are hired whether they are average, beautiful or just not so attractive outwardly as long they are doing their jobs correctly. So those places that you're talking about that just hire people for their looks that is just plain stupidity. Point made!
@nutanjain (898)
• India
12 Jul 08
no its not right taht only beauty matters but beauty with brains also matter a lot means if a person is good looking thaen he should also have some skills which make him smarter like his talks and bold altitude and every thing like that just this is what really matter and the last thing that matters most well nice talking to you and reply in any of my dis cussions
@Muelitz (1592)
• Canada
12 Jul 08
That may be the case in some countries, but from where I am right now, it is very different. It is not required to include your photo, age, religion, ethnicity and other personal information. What they are after is your work experience and qualification :)
• United States
11 Jul 08
Beauty is the key to success. I once read an article that says beautiful people are the most successful people on earth. Some companies judge or rate a person by their appearance rather than their skills or intelligence. If you look good you'll be offered better position and salary. Whereas the not so good looking needs to prove themselves before they will get what they are worth for.
@adutza (39)
• Romania
11 Jul 08
yes, despite our regrets, nowadays beauty does matter. If you are young and beautiful you are more likely to find a job than an ugly person. Our society looks for perfect people who look awesome and sadly this kind of persons can find more easily a job. But this is not fair, so what is I'm not beautiful? Maybe I know more than that beautiful person you have hired in stead of me!
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Beauty for me doesn't matter. What is beauty if the brain is empty.
• United States
11 Jul 08
there was a study done a few years ago, using Elementary School kids. With out QUESTION, The most attractive photos of people the kid's were shown, were the ones they assumed were the smartest,nicest, and most talented. Sad to say, but you can not look like an Un- manicured, un-groomed and bad hair, and expect to find a job. You cannot come in with terrible clothes, no makeup, and smelling like a Hot Dog, and expect to find a job. No food stains on your jacket, your purse in shambles, and your shoes scuffed up!!! Sorry but those people had better stay behind the computer at home, And not representing a Company of any sort to hire them. There are so many people in the world today. People go out of there way to get degrees, ut that is not enough. You HAVE too, look good for work. You Have too... Otherwise everyone, would roll out of bed,brush the teeth, put on slippers,grab a cup of Coffee, and go to the office. Just not acceptable. even the ugliest facial features can be 'glammed up'. Lets say, you didn't get the 'Good Lookin' Gene pool' Meaning your face is not balanced in thirds...forehead bigger...lips too thin, nose too long or what ever. There are ways to make yourself look better. Bangs help, lipstick, blush powder, hair done, and nice clean clothes... and Most importantly: YOUR SMILE! YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH. so yes beauty does matter in terms of a job.
@setroc (853)
• Philippines
11 Jul 08
that is very interesting, how bout if they miss the really smart ones
• United States
11 Jul 08
wow! They should be looking at qualifications not looks. I have meet some beautiful people that do not have to many smarts. Looks are not everything.
• United States
11 Jul 08
I don't know that it is beauty so much as the appearance of someone being "together". If I went into an interview with my hair not done, no makeup, and sloppy clothes, they aren't about to give me a job. But if I go in with my hair styled, makeup on, and dressed appropriately for the job, I'm much more likely to be considered, assuming I have the skills. I do agree that there is an age discrimination issue. I think many employers thing that the older people are the less likely they are going to be able to handle the job. My stepdad, a few years back, ended up dying the gray out of his hair to give him the impression of being younger - and he got a job fairly quickly. Prior to that he hadn't been able to find anything. Not fair, but it happens.
@amanda08 (647)
• United States
11 Jul 08
I was hired over the phone once and when I showed up to work, I was told to sit and wait- which I did for almost an hour- then I was told I was not needed... they asked how old I was and I said 23 and they said I had to be 27 for insurance purposes... funny thing is there was another person worling there that was younger than me!!... I was about 30 pounds over weight at the time and I would say that was the reason the man changed his mind once I showed up after being hired on the phone and driving half an hour to get there only to wait for almost another hour and then told I wasn't needed.... the nerve of some people... poor guy, he didn't know he was missign out on one of the most intelligent people he will ever have a chance to hire! his loss.. oh well
• Germany
11 Jul 08
...The know the taste and quality of a cake when I eat it, not by looking at it! A lot of people choose to make decisions on the outlook and it matters only cause people are easily fooled that way; period! It's like meeting a "Paris Hilton-Like" Woman (she's "Looks" indeed beautiful"...)that is unable to have an intelligent conversation with you; mustn't be the case but is strongly possible... Yes, beauty does matter, but only real beauty matters on long term and that's not espacially a physical asset of your body ;-)... Blackpearls