Can Cosmetic Surgery Improve Your Career?

A news segment popped up, "Career Change and Cosmetic Surgery," while I was dutifully riding the stationary bike at the health club.

This is the latest twist on the down economy and the slumping job market, apparently. Not surprisingly, the segment featured only women. By all measures, the economy has hit men the hardest. I wonder if women, in recognizing that they need to change something, even if it's invasive surgery, are fairing better in a tight job market because they are willing to change.

I'm not advocating surgery. I think it's extreme. However, it''s in our capacity to adapt to changing conditions that serve us now and in the future.

I DO question what's become of us as a culture, when the first thing a prospective employer judges is your face.

There are so many issues that this concept of Corrective Surgery as a Competitive Advantage raises, that I'd like to hear from my readers.

Comments

[Nicolette]

Nice to hear from you again Janet/Wendy, Wendy/Janet ;-)

Agreed. My photo on this blog is a decade old. LOL.

[Janet Wendy Spiegel]

When I take a trip back to Canada, from my home in LA, I remember what real people look like. Sadly, we are books that are judged by our covers. In this exceedingly competitive market, it doesn't make sense to ignore how human behavior works. Everyone must look their best for a job interview -- and if you look old, the sad truth is that you will more often than not, be passed over for a more youthful, vibrant candidate...even if your skills can run circles around theirs. If I had to, I suspect I would do something to make me look younger (I'm almost 50). And men are definitely doing a lot of enhancements to stay competitive. Good question.

[Nicolette]

Ron,

I completely agree that loosing 20 pounds or even a hair transplant can improve one's self image and how a person feels about himself.

In fact, I love the fact that I "don't look my age."

I just wonder what comes first: the internal shift in consciousness or the physical change then reflecting on the emotional and mental.

My real complaint should be directed to network news which should have offered a more balanced approach and included men enhancing their appearance to be more relevant in the workplace, as you said.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

[Ron Kirk]

This is not just in the work enviroment, we unknowingly make up our minds about people and situations within seconds of meeting someone (read Blink) it is in our dna, it has helped us survive throughout evolution. My patients (I work in the hair restoration industry) on average are male between the ages of 40-60, when I ask them why they want to get their hair back, their main response is to be more relevent in the work place, a lot of men are being directed by supervisors who are younger than themselves. In the personal side to looking younger, many men in their 40's are first time fathers and they have stated that they don't want to be the "old" dad at their kids baseball games. One man told me that he was at the doctors office with his child and the nurse thought he was the grandfather. Bottom line, if you feel good about yourself you will perform better at work, and if your out searching for a mate you will be more attractive. If getting a hair transplant and losing 20 pounds makes you look 10 years younger you will be happier and every facet of your life will reflect this increased happiness and confidence.