I am attractive, and not by my own standards. I am told that I’m attractive almost daily. I used to model in my early 20s until I decided that I wanted an intellectual stimulation and went ahead to pursue a PhD at Cornell. I was always at the top of my class and it was refreshing to have people compliment me on something other than my beauty.
Now the job market is a completely different story. I applied to literally all types of jobs that fit my profile- academia, consulting firms, investment banks, startups. I learned that beauty is definitely penalized for various reasons.
First, HR departments are dominated by women. Various studies show that women, particularly in their late 20s and early 30s discriminate against beautiful women applicants simply out of jealousy and competition. Now think about it, let’s say you’re a single young HR executive - would you want to bring in a woman who will overshadow you and get all the male attention or would you rather hire someone who will make you stand out (given that both individuals have similar skillsets)?
Second, men have a difficult time perceiving a beautiful woman as intelligent and capable. I’ve had times when I would walk in a conference room to have literally ten professors flock around me. I’m not sure they were particularly interested in my research and contributions to the academic field. And no, I don’t dress like a model. In fact, I try my best to conceal my beauty, which is unfortunate because I am hiding who I am simply to get societal acceptance.
Being beautiful can be frustrating. It’s easy to say that attractive women get preferential treatment but try to be in the shoes of an attractive woman for one day. Try dealing with the sexism, inappropriate remarks, unwanted advances, and illogical jealousy on a daily basis. I wanted to share this because I am exhausted of hearing that my world is full of roses and every single thing I have achieved has been handed to me. I am more than my beauty.
