Looking for a new job can be incredibly stressful. You’re competing with countless other capable candidates in interviews and aptitude tests. Unfortunately, some companies also take your physical appearance into account. And a job you might be perfectly qualified for can slip through your fingers because you don’t match the societal standards of ‘beauty.’ Or… because you don’t often wear makeup.
New Yorker Melissa Weaver went viral on TikTok and in the media after sharing how she got rejected for a vice president job because she didn’t wear makeup for her interview. Read on for the full story and what the internet thought of ‘pretty privilege’ and double standards for women.
Bored Panda has reached out to Weaver via LinkedIn for comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
You would think that, in this day and age, your skills would be valued more than your appearance
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
Melissa Weaver went viral after sharing how she was denied a high-profile position because she didn’t wear makeup for the interview
Image credits: _melissaweaver
“Okay, TikTok, I need your opinion on something. So I interviewed for a job earlier this week. The interview went so well. Every question she had, I had a great answer for. I used to work in recruitment. I know how to interview.”
Image credits: _melissaweaver
“My background and experience align perfectly with what the role entails. So I thought it went great. But then I get an email from the recruiter saying that I’m not going to be moving on to the next round. I was really bummed because I wanted the job. But I was also very confused.”
Image credits: _melissaweaver
“So I did something I never do, and I emailed her back and asked for feedback. And she said that while my background was exactly what they were looking for, my experience lined up with what they need for the position, and my own personal goals and values align with the company’s, she was concerned that, for my interview, I hadn’t put in enough effort in my appearance, given the level of the role I was interviewing for.”
Image credits: _melissaweaver
“I was interviewing for the vice president position. And now my appearance: I had done a blowout for my hair. I had on a nice top, a blazer, some earrings, but I only had on chapstick. I didn’t have on any makeup because I don’t really wear a lot of makeup. Not to be quirky. I just don’t.”
Image credits: _melissaweaver
“So my question is, does not wearing makeup, for women, to job interviews or to jobs, make it seem like they aren’t putting as much effort or care into their job?”
Image credits: _melissaweaver
According to Weaver, when she asked for follow-up info about why she didn’t move on to the next stage in the job application process, she was told that she hadn’t put enough effort into her appearance.
She had done a blowout for her hair and was wearing a nice blazer and earrings. However, she hadn’t worn any makeup because she doesn’t really do that.
It would be frustrating for anyone to learn that their skills are being ignored over such a superficial thing as makeup. Especially when you consider that it’s a very high-profile role you’re interviewing for—a vice president position in HR.
Weaver explained to Newsweek that her job interview was “engaging and informative.” The overall impression she got from it was very positive.
“We delved into the role, responsibilities, and the company’s growth plans. I was confident I met all their expectations,” she said.
“I left the interview feeling confident, so when I got an email from the recruiter a few days later saying I wasn’t moving forward in the hiring process, I was dumbfounded.”
Weaver explained that the interviewer thought her experience was exactly what the company was looking for. Moreover, the applicant’s values aligned with those of the company.
There was just one ‘problem’: “She was concerned that I hadn’t put enough effort into my appearance given I was interviewing for a VP-level role.”
Weaver told Newsweek that she rarely wears makeup because she has sensitive skin and eyes. “I believe this was the only aspect of my appearance that could have been perceived as lacking effort,” she said.
“My previous companies didn’t care about how people dressed in the office, so long as people weren’t showing up in pajamas or workout clothes. No one ever commented on whether or not a woman wore makeup.”
Image credits: Edmond Dantès (not the actual photo)
You can watch the full video, which was picked up by media outlets everywhere, over here
@_melissaweaver Does wearing make up to work make a difference? #work #corporate #career #interview #job #jobsearch #makeup #jobinterview #opinion #advice #women ♬ original sound – Melissa
At the time of writing, Weaver’s viral TikTok video was viewed over 786k times. It also got 68.7k likes and received more than 5.3k comments. The story was also picked up by major and smaller news outlets around the globe.
Many internet users were appalled by the double standards that women face even in this day and age. Unfortunately, the TikToker’s experience wasn’t a one-off experience. Other TikTok users shared similar stories of their own.
Weaver later posted a longer video where she went into detail about some of the questions that her followers had about the entire situation. She added that she wouldn’t publicly name and shame the company that rejected her for several reasons.
For one, it’s a good way to be blacklisted, and it wouldn’t do you any good while you’re still looking for a job. Finding a new job is Weaver’s current priority. It’s also unfair to criticize an entire company based on one recruiter’s behavior. It’s a diplomatic way of starting a discussion about appearances and ‘pretty privilege’ culture while remaining professional.
Whether we like it or not, things like judging others over their appearance might never go away. However, we can mitigate at least a part of these (un)conscious biases by being more aware of them.
The so-called ‘halo effect’ is a cognitive bias where our impression of a person affects how we feel about their character. To put it simply, someone who seems nice might make us think that they’re also smart.
Or, more commonly, folks tend to think that extremely good-looking people are also virtuous, talented, capable, and charming, even if they’re nothing of the sort. Verywell Mind points out that the halo effect is also known as the ‘what is beautiful is also good’ principle. In short, people tend to give attractive individuals the benefit of the doubt.
Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)
Many TikTok users supported Weaver and thought that she was being discriminated against
However, some internet users actually agreed with the recruiter
Others shared their own job interview experiences where appearances mattered more than skills
