It’s no secret that traditionally attractive people often have an advantage in job interviews, commonly referred to as “pretty privilege.” However, a career coach on TikTok recently pointed out that this may not always be the case.
In a viral video, Mandy (@careercoachmandy) states that if you happen to be “traditionally very attractive,” you may actually face a bias during the hiring process.
@careercoachmandy if you're hot you're not that smart or nice, is what people are thinking. #jobsearch #interviewprep ♬ original sound – CareerCoachMandy
The coach explains that many employers may make assumptions about a candidate’s personality based on their looks.
“‘Oh, she’s like phenomenally beautiful – that’s annoying and I bet she’s a bitch too,’ is a common assumption made by some employers,” she says.
She advises that “traditionally very attractive” candidates should present themselves as warm and down-to-earth during the interview process, in order to avoid coming off as perfectly polished because “polish is not what people hire.”
The video was posted on Jan. 25 and accumulated over 133,000 views as of Sunday with mixed reactions in the comments section.
Some agreed with the coach’s assessment, with one person saying, “Yes usually if it’s a woman interviewer,” and another added, “I purposely do light or no makeup to interview and keep my outfit and hair simple for this reason.”
However, one commenter argued that traditionally beautiful people have an advantage, writing, “there is a large body of research suggesting that attractiveness has a strong POSITIVE effect on your chance of being hired.”
Other commenters shared their tips on how to avoid this issue.
“Yessssss I do always wear my glasses and a fairly simple outfit and barely any makeup. Then the first day I walk in all glammed up,” one user added.
“I make sure to bring up hiking and the outdoors it humanizes me lol,” an additional commenter remarked.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mandy via email for comment.
