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. 

Why Being Attractive Pays Off At Work

If you think that looks don’t matter, think again. When it comes to certain careers, keeping up appearances is (unfortunately) important.  At SpaMedica, we’ve seen several lawyers, actors and bankers come in for treatments. Whether it’s for Botox injections or facials, it’s usually for the same reason. These professionals want to keep their youthful looks to stay competitive in their career.

Why would they feel the need to compete? It’s because they want to get a promotion or keep their upper-management position, according to Toronto plastic surgeon Dr. Mulholland. These clients want to look and feel confident rather than looking “haggard” in front of their colleagues and clients. “It’s about looking your best in a very competitive business environment,” says Dr. Mulholland.

It’s easy to say that attractive people get things handed to them in life easily, but numerous studies have proven that this is often the case—at least when it comes to jobs. Daniel Hamermesh, a professor in Economics at The University of Texas at Austin, reported that attractive men and women earn 3-4 more percent than people with below average looks. Attractive people get hired quicker and earn promotions faster in comparison. They’re also rewarded with more job benefits and are revered as valuable assets to the company.

Source: Viewzone.com Symmetrical faces are considered as signs of good health and attractiveness.

What makes someone attractive?

Each individual will always have their own preferences in what they find physically attractive. But in general, there are certain traits that are considered universally attractive. According to this Business Insider article, people generally find clear and smooth skin attractive. It’s seen as a sign of health, especially in the faces of women. Facial symmetry is another factor of what makes someone considered as good looking.

The traits that men find attractive in women are a high forehead, high cheekbones, full lips, big eyes and a thin chin. Women prefer a big jaw and broad chin in men.

Men are getting treatments too

It’s not just women who are keeping up their looks. Men are no exception to treatments, both surgical and non-surgical. To compete with younger colleagues, these men maintain their looks through facials, laser hair removal or Botox injections. “Over 20 percent of my clients are men,” says Dr. Mulholland.

Should there really be a big emphasis on our appearances when it comes to getting jobs? Apparently it does matter. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that having facial blemishes or disfigurements lowered job candidates’ prospects of snagging the job. In one of their studies, 38 managers conducted face-to-face interviews with candidates who had facial birthmarks. These highly qualified managers with years of experience couldn’t keep their attention on these interviewers because of their looks. The managers had difficulty managing their reactions to the job seekers’ looks, which ultimately impacted their job prospects negatively. 

It’s vain and unfair how our culture works, no doubt. That’s how the nature of the workforce for many professions today, though. Not everyone is born with the same skills or looks. Skills can be learned and perfected and better looks can be attained—whether that means it’s by grooming or cosmetic surgery.