How Do Your Looks Affect Your Career?

We’ve talked about careers, looks and plastic surgery in the past. After doing some research, several studies showed that being perceived as attractive does matter when it comes to applying to jobs and getting raises and promotions. How you look and present yourself also affects the way colleagues view you.

RealSelf recently shared some results from a survey they conducted. In this survey, they asked 400 men and women to rate how trustworthy, creative, competitive, friendly and motivated a person appeared to be based on photos. RealSelf used before and after photos of individuals who had procedures such as rhinoplasty, chin implants, Botox and dermal fillers.

The Takeaways From This Survey Showed That:

• Women who had a chin implant, rhinoplasty and Voluma injectable filler scored higher in their after photos.
• Survey respondents rated these women in their after photos as more creative, motivated and trustworthy.
• Women with nose jobs were rated as more competitive, motivated and creative
•  Women with Voluma injections saw the highest increases in ratings in these categories

We found these results interesting because they provided images of the same people before and after their procedures—they were the same people, but they looked slightly different post-op. Each time, their “after” photo was rated higher than their “before” photos. It gets us thinking about how a person’s looks and facial structure can impact how other professionals view them personally and professionally. While skills and experience obviously matter in jobs, first impressions and perception is also critical.

People of All Ages Seek Plastic Surgery

As several media reports have shown lately, the age of plastic surgery patients has gotten younger. It’s not just professionals in their 40s and up who are seeking plastic surgery.  Dr. Mulholland, a Toronto plastic surgeon, says that the average age of Botox patients is now in their early 30s. Before, it was in the mid 40s.

Lawyers, bankers and actors have sought plastic surgery at SpaMedica in Toronto

Are There Particular Careers Where Professionals Seek Plastic Surgery?

Some careers force people to be in front of cameras and people on a daily basis. Take for example lawyers. They have to interact with clients and be in front of people all the time. Plastic surgeons will often see clients in these fields because presenting themselves well to the public and their colleagues is important in their jobs. Dr. Mulholland says he has treated numerous actors, bankers and lawyers in his practice. Some people simply feel compelled to look their best and stay competitive in the field.

In this Forbes article, Dr. Nahai talked about the different patients he’d normally see in his practice. “A very large number of my patients come in and say, ‘I sell homes, and I can’t compete with a woman in her 30s. I need to look young enough.’ I’ve had a lot of salesmen who say they’ve been told they look angry or tired, so they get a brow lift.”

This isn’t to say getting plastic surgery is necessary to secure jobs or promotions. Afterall, being good at what you do is what makes you a valued employee. But some people want to present themselves as the full package; they want to have the brains, skills and looks.