Posted on 10/26/2011 8:43:53 PM PDT by Steelfish
OCTOBER 26, 2011 On the Job, Beauty Is More Than Skin-Deep
SUE SHELLENBARGER
Most people assume being good-looking gives you a career boost. But just how much does it help?
A lot. Good-looking people charm interviewers, get hired faster, are more likely to make more sales and get more raises.
Mr. Hamermesh, author of "Beauty Pays," at Tokyo's Hitotsubashi University in 2010.
Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor at the University of Texas in Austin, measures out the benefits in his book, "Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful."
According to his research, attractive people are likely to earn an average of 3% to 4% more than a person with below-average looks. That adds up to $230,000 more over a lifetime for the typical good-looking person, Dr. Hamermesh estimates. Even an average-looking worker is likely to make $140,000 more over a lifetime than an ugly worker.
We asked Dr. Hamermesh to discuss his findings. Edited excerpts follow:
WSJ: You show that good looks are even more influential for men's earnings than for women's. Why do men's good looks pay off more?
Mr. Hamermesh: There are two reasons. First, not as many women work for pay as men. (The Bureau of Labor Statistics says just 59% of adult women hold paying jobs in the workforce, compared with 73% of men.) If you are unattractive and you know you are going to be penalized for that, and if you have an option to stay out of the job market, you as a woman may choose not to bear that pain. Also, women in general are paid less than men; part of it is that they channel themselves into different occupations, and part of it is pure discrimination.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Before I went Christmas shopping, I used to "prep" for a Power-Shop (nicest outfit, hair, nails, make up, the works). The first time it happened, it drove my husband nuts...until he saw the effect it had on counter service staff when I entered the store.
Head up, shoulders back, I strode into the store like a woman on a mission. Scruffy moms with kids in tow would be overlooked as staff flocked to help me. An hour later, our arms were both heavy with bags and we'd bought presents for 30 people.
He was stunned.
I know for a fact that my looks landed me two different positions. Don't feel too bad about it, since I went through adolescence as a lanky creature with glasses, braces, and no boyfriends. Late blooming ugly duckling turned semi-swan.
There are days I'm the scruffy mom with 3 kids in tow; folks treat me with less respect until I start talking. Since I'm still thin and have always been tall, I can still whip out the Power-Shop gal if needed.
I learned rather quickly that how you present yourself makes all the difference in the world.
Well....actually i guess i am just OK looking.
:)
But you ladies can still e-mail me.....
I ran into this in several instances in my career. One example was a female boss that was so threatened by my lovely long naturally blond locks and attention grabbing self that she constantly was telling me to get my hair cut. Most attractive women in a lower position know that they either have to get deep inside that woman as a friend or get a male superior that isn't actively trying to defeat them because they are so threatened.
In LA the woman manager and bosses are terrified of young, intelligent, hard working woman. They know their aging, not so attractive self only stays in their job because the power they hold and once they lose that they have nothing.
I got that early enough and have been fortunate to own my own businesses and be my own salesperson. I create my own success. Let the ugly, insecure, female managers rot in H E double toothpicks :-).
Most my life women--even in my family--were threatened by me. It took years to understand this wasn't about my personality, but they were threatened. Woman are weird. I walk up to attractive woman and complement them all the time on purpose. As I know most woman shun them. I have a lot of friends male and female for that reason. In the end we all just want to be loved and rich anyway. haha.
You AWESOME LOOKING! Live it. Breath it. Be it!!! :-D
Some plainness is an asset to credibility in positions that carry notable responsibility, because people are less likely to wonder if the person got where he or she was by his or her looks.
Ability is great, but the charisma to get other people on board with ones ideas and plans is no slouch.
Thanks so much HiTechRedNeck for that essence of truth. It is also true that the light of that love shining from any mug is the most beautiful. Earthly beauty fades and we can’t take the money with us. Appreciate your reminder.
chutzpah. I would add that in replacement of ability.
Distribute the wealth! We can’t beautify the ugly. We can only deface the beautiful!
Give them a bad nose job. Scar their faces.
You look a lot better when you have money. Big cash is an attractive attribute.
Ouch! I blame Steven Seagal.
I don’t understand your sentence. Could you please break it down into finer points?
Just livin' the lie ... livin' the lie ... :(
Why frownie face :(? I wish I knew what you meant by livin’ the lie. It makes me sad with the frowner though. The only time I have a frownie face in my posts is when it pertains to anything positive for Obama, liberals, or there is an njured harmed animal involved.
Not really black humor ... maybe gray. :)
Hey, there's a smiley! :)
Oops...another!
Thanks so much for the clarification. Also liked teardrop effect of your previous post. I would say you could be a writer. If you are not you have some serious natural instincts.
sub-optimial statein reference to ugly people. :) I like the way your head works dude Duke. Have a great night.
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