| Look the part. That's what people from my | | | | require frequent interpersonal contact. Interestingly, |
| grandmother's generation used to say. It meant | | | | the wage differential for obesity seems to be limited |
| looking like the professionals who belonged to the | | | | to white women. There were no wage differentials |
| group that you wanted to be a part of. It also meant | | | | among fat women of other races. It's consistent |
| carrying yourself, through your demeanor, in a | | | | with society's view that white women are |
| manner that's consistent with the expectations of | | | | "supposed" to be life-sized Barbie dolls. When they do |
| the role you play in business. | | | | not meet those physical requirements, they face |
| Over the years, things have become, in a word, | | | | repercussions. |
| relaxed. Too relaxed for people from my | | | | So research confirms that beauty (physical |
| grandmother's generation. Casual or dress down | | | | attractiveness) is not only in the eye of the beholder, |
| Fridays have permeated the work week creating a | | | | but is also the ticket to having more dollars in your |
| blur between casual and business attire, bringing with | | | | bank account. Countless studies reveal that society |
| it a casual attitude toward professionalism. | | | | affords many benefits and privileges to the beautiful |
| I remember wearing ties during my interviews with | | | | including what scientists call the "halo effect" which |
| small companies after working corporate jobs. | | | | results in the granting of favors, random acts of |
| Depending on the culture of the company, ties were | | | | kindness, more popularity, higher perceived levels of |
| either applauded or frowned upon. You often don't | | | | intelligence (Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay |
| know this information prior to interviewing and most | | | | Lohan may cause us to revisit this), and more |
| recruiters will tell you to error on the side of being | | | | favorable treatment in hiring and promotions. |
| overdressed, rather than being underdressed. I was | | | | In my first corporate job for a major magazine |
| turned down multiple times on the basis of "not | | | | publisher me and my co-workers had a running bet |
| fitting in." | | | | on who the owner would hire when women came in |
| They didn't need a 30 minute interview to figure that | | | | for interviews. They would look at copies of the |
| out. All they needed was 5 to 7 seconds according | | | | candidates' resumes which I distributed to those |
| to Lesley Everett, author of the book Walking Tall: | | | | involved in the interviewing process, and I would just |
| Key Steps to Total Image Impact. He writes: In | | | | look at the candidate. If she was blonde with great |
| those first 15 seconds we have got key clues into | | | | symmetry, I knew she would be hired. |
| how somebody operates, into their business | | | | At the time I did not know the rationale behind |
| approach, their attitude, their personality. So when | | | | symmetry, I just knew his preference. Charles Feng |
| we get to 30 seconds, we are given more than | | | | of the Human Biology department at Stanford |
| enough time to make that impression subconsciously. | | | | University explains symmetry preferences in his |
| In Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink he makes reference | | | | article Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of |
| to this in what psychologists refer to as "the power | | | | Beauty: Symmetry preference in both humans and |
| of thin slicing" which allows us to see the most | | | | animals is that symmetric individuals have a higher |
| essential components of a situation, object, or | | | | mate-value; scientists believe that this symmetry is |
| person. | | | | equated with a strong immune system. Thus, beauty |
| My prospective employers were able to see that my | | | | is indicative of more robust genes, improving the |
| tightly knotted tie (proof of my rigidity), my sparkling | | | | likelihood that an individual's offspring will survive. |
| cuff links (stylistic value), and my polished Stacy | | | | For men, height appears to be the ticket for |
| Adams shoes (personality) revealed a potential | | | | favoritism. |
| culture clash. I looked the part of a slick corporate | | | | Economists Nicola Persico, Andrew Postlewaite and |
| player - not someone who was similar to the existing | | | | Dan Silverman tried to explain the origin of the |
| staff who were referenced in my interview as being | | | | "height premium." They found that for white men in |
| "like a family." | | | | the United States, a 1.8-percent increase in wages |
| I look back on that job hunting experience and I'm | | | | accompanies every additional inch of height. Men's |
| forced to agree with those who turned me down: I | | | | wages as adults can be linked to their height at age |
| did not fit in. I had, and still do have, a corporate | | | | 16. For a given adult height, Persico, Postlewaite and |
| mentality - even though I prefer the collaborative, | | | | Silverman found that increasing height at age 16 by |
| intimate atmosphere of a small company. I like the | | | | one inch increased adult wages by 2.6 percent, on |
| structure, policies, and financial layering of the | | | | average. For two adult men of the same height, the |
| corporate machine; my first impression gave that | | | | one who was taller at 16 would most likely earn the |
| appearance and I'm sure the ensuing interview just | | | | higher wage. |
| confirmed it. | | | | Gladwell reports in Blink that researchers who |
| While it's true that you don't get a second chance to | | | | analyzed the data from four large research studies, |
| make a first impression, you do get 20 chances to | | | | that had followed thousands of people from birth to |
| make up for it - if you are lucky. Research shows | | | | adulthood, and calculated that when corrected for |
| that it takes another 20 further experiences with | | | | variables like age and gender and weight, an inch of |
| somebody to change a first impression. Subsequent | | | | height is worth $789 a year in salary. That means |
| experiences are of course largely determined by that | | | | that a person who is six feet tall, but who is |
| first impression, so it behooves you to know how to | | | | otherwise identical (in qualifications) to someone who |
| capitalize on that 5-7 second window of opportunity. | | | | is five foot five, will make on average $5,525 more |
| The advantage someone has in getting what they | | | | per year. If you are a man who is vertically |
| want if they are in touch with what their appearance | | | | challenged (i.e. born short) don't despair; men's |
| communicates to others is sizeable. What people see | | | | elevator shoes (which can give you up to an |
| during that quick 5-7 seconds of scanning formulates | | | | additional 5 inches in height) are a top selling item on |
| a perceived truth that they subconsciously seek to | | | | the Internet. |
| match against additional information that you | | | | So in the end, your appearance offers a glimpse into |
| voluntarily provide, or that they soon discover. | | | | who you are (personality, temperament, disposition, |
| On a subconscious level, we are all aware of this. We | | | | mentality, and values) based on perceptions held by |
| put on our "Sunday's best" for church, we put our | | | | others. There are many factors that contribute to |
| "best foot forward" when meeting the friends and | | | | those perceptions such as beauty, symmetry, and |
| parents of our significant other, and we "dress to | | | | wardrobe selection. Your appearance sends these |
| impress" when going to social events. Clearly, the | | | | messages to an employer who uses them to screen |
| awareness, if not the importance of appearances is | | | | you out of a job, or to envision you in a new |
| instilled in all of us to some degree. | | | | position. |
| It's common for people to mistake appearance for | | | | Some researchers have even linked appearance to |
| looks. Looks are what you were born with, | | | | productivity in ways that are not as easily measured |
| appearance is how you manage and present those | | | | (or as obvious) as are other characteristics, like |
| looks; however ordinary or extraordinary they may | | | | education or experience. Appearance, for example, |
| be. From that perspective, it really doesn't matter | | | | can affect confidence and communication, thereby |
| what you look like in terms of constructing and | | | | influencing productivity. This is readily evidenced in |
| presenting a winning appearance. Or does it? | | | | sales and marketing positions, and seems to be a |
| A famous study by economists Daniel Hamermesh | | | | prerequisite for real estate agents. With the |
| and Jeff Biddle uses survey data to examine the | | | | appropriate attention to these details you can use |
| impact that appearance has on a person's earnings. In | | | | them to your benefit to increase your chances of |
| each survey, the interviewer who asked the | | | | getting a new job or a promotion. |
| questions also rated the respondents' physical | | | | Needless to say, most people have average looks; |
| appearance. Respondents were classified into one of | | | | make-up helps to embellish those looks. For women, |
| the following groups: below average, average and | | | | a $50.00 make-over is a worthy investment that can |
| above average. | | | | teach you how to properly and proficiently enhance |
| In other words, a person with below-average looks | | | | your looks to better manage your appearance. |
| tended to earn 9 percent less per hour, and an | | | | Symmetry is really about how your body is |
| above-average person tended to earn 5 percent | | | | proportioned. Altering a lopsided body through the |
| more per hour than an average-looking person. For | | | | illusion of clothing is something that most stylists are |
| the median male working full time, the respective | | | | good at, in addition to giving you objective feedback |
| penalty and premium ranged from $1,400 to $2,600 | | | | on wardrobe selection for an optimal professional |
| annually. The corresponding penalty and premium for | | | | presentation. |
| the median female worker ranged from $1,100 to | | | | By controlling the aspects of your appearance that |
| $2,000 annually. | | | | are controllable, you can positively influence the |
| Hamermesh and Biddle found that the beauty | | | | impact that your appearance has on your success. |
| premium exists even outside of occupations that | | | | |