A few weeks ago, I came across a news article that spoke volumes about society nowadays. According to Maclean’s On Campus, increasing numbers of Chinese women are going under the needle, putting China in 3rd place (behind USA and Brazil), for the highest amount of cosmetic procedures performed annually. The most popular operations are “eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty (nose job), and jaw reshaping” as it gives a female a more “attractive” look. As the job market, especially for new graduates, becomes increasingly competitive, many believe that an attractive face can place one ahead of one’s competitors. This lead, however small, has many scrambling for plastic surgery as an option to help land a good job. It’s not only Chinese women choosing this option but women worldwide. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, because “…of difficult economic times, and a belief that hiring is based on looks, millions of American women are looking at cosmetic medical procedures to give them a competitive edge in the workplace. In a new telephone survey compiled by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) of 756 women between the ages of 18 and 64, many reveal cosmetic plastic surgery procedures now appear to be an important rung on the success ladder.”
Even sadder are the statistics that “13 percent (more than 1 out of 10 of the 115-million working-age women) say they would consider having a cosmetic medical procedure specifically to make them more confident and more competitive in the job market; an astounding 3 percent (nearly 3.5-million working women) say they’ve already had a cosmetic procedure to increase their perceived value in the workplace; 73 percent (almost three out of four or, 84-million working women) believe, particularly in these challenging economic times, appearance and youthful looks play a part in getting hired, getting a promotion, or getting new clients and a whopping 80 percent (four out of five or 92-million working women) think having cosmetic medical procedures can boost a person’s confidence.”
This option has been drawing more participants over the years, as the job market becomes more cut-throat and the belief that prettier faces sweeten job deals gets more attention. As MD Thomas Fiala says, “…this trend is not really that new. Men have been coming to me for years, getting their upper eyelids fixed, so they don’t look like the ‘sleepy, old-guy-past-his-prime’. Executives often have specifically told me that they want to look more like their youthful and energetic business competition, and want to have surgery to give the appearance of still being in their prime, rather than being perceived as being ‘tired’ or ‘over-the-hill’.”
All of this makes me wonder…whatever happened to good ‘ol class, intelligence and a positive attitude. I am insinuating that attractive people are not intelligent but rather trying to shine light on the sad fact that having a good resume, shining references and confidence just doesn’t cut it anymore. Companies are getting bolder, some declaring that they hire only attractive people, as in the case of Abercrombie & Fitch and Earl’s. There is even a website now called BeautifulPeople.com, a dating site where employers can look towards, if they want to hire attractive people for their companies, businesses and services.
Success for certain companies depends on attracting customers, preferably the “right” kinds (depending on the needs of that company). And humans have an inherent eye for aesthetically pleasing things, especially people, for positive, lasting impressions. Is it not an unfair practice for employers to value a physically attractive person over another who has the qualifications necessary and is more suitable? After all, beauty is subjective and often fleeting, and I really don’t like the idea of women subjecting themselves to change to fit the ideals of the majority (which are often misguided). Instead of focusing so much on looks, I believe employers, and people in general, should strive to look for, and become, people who try their best in any task they’re assigned to.
Sources:
http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2013/07/04/chinese-graduates-use-surgery-to-get-ahead/