Like it or not, beautiful women find it easier to succeed in business. Okay, attractive women and men find it easier to succeed. But looks have a far greater impact on a woman’s career.
Think about it. How many fat, ugly male CEOs are there? And how many fat, ugly female CEOs are there? Just compare poor old Whitey Basson (CEO, Shoprite) to the gorgeous Renee Silverstone (CEO, The Jupiter Drawing Room).
Righteous feminists will argue that looks have nothing to do with professional ability. They’re absolutely right of course, but they’re missing the point — looks empower a woman to use her professional ability. It’s a man’s world and that’s not going to change by showing how principled you are.
I’m not saying that stupid attractive women are more likely to be promoted. I’m saying that attractive intelligent women are more likely to be promoted.
It’s Darwinian and base, but people — men and women — take a well-groomed and shiny-haired woman more seriously than the one who wears T-shirts and shuns make-up. The latter may succeed via her intellect and skills, but she’s unlikely to be appointed CEO.
I have a friend who works for a prestigious private bank. The running joke is that they only hire former models with BCom degrees.
She freely admits that looking good has been helpful. Because while the men she works with are distracted by her long limbs and glossy mane, she’s making the company a lot of money and getting noticed by senior management.
I also know a skilled account manager who’s naturally a brunette, but says staying blonde makes it easier to deal with clients. Apparently they pay more attention to what she’s saying, which gets the job done faster.
That’s not using your looks — that’s using your brain.
Of course, it can cut both ways. I once had two female creative directors who were insecure about their fading looks and advancing age. They didn’t hire a promising young copywriter because they thought she was “too attractive”. The copywriter went on to be hired by another (mainly male) agency and do fantastic work.
Then there’s the problem of women who only get by on their looks. Without any real qualification except “people skills” and the ability to read a business management book, they usually end up doing well in PR or marketing (no wonder there’s a dearth of creativity in both fields).
That aside, there’s nothing wrong with a woman using her attractiveness, and her mind, to get ahead. Talent alone can take you very far, but if you really want to reach the top you’ll need a good hairdresser too.
*Amanda works in a sexist, shallow industry filled with pseudo-intellectuals and wannabe artists. She wears heels and a handkerchief when presenting to clients. That way they’re less likely to play with their BlackBerries.
What about attractive men? Do attractive men also get noticed by their male bosses or the female bosses?
So true Amanda!
A certain zebra-faced South African bank uses the notation ‘EOTE’ on an candidate’s form during interviews. It means ‘easy on the eye’…
Hmm, although I don´t disagree I think a lot depends on the industry.. E.g. Your industry is one where a woman probably would get ahead by being goodlooking. But in most other jobs its about the qualifications and experience.
Hey Amanda, this article is really good, and true to the corporate world of high heels and slick hair..
But I’ve still got my flats under my desk, the clients don’t need to see that once I’ve wowed them with the heels..
I can’t help but laugh at this atrocity. What kind of woman compares beauty and a well toned body structure with success? oh ofcourse plastic will do that. My dear you seem to have lost the plot here. The very people who interview these women are men. All they are thinking about is how they will bed the women once they have hired them…think about it..it doesn’t take many braincells to figure that out. I am a news editor in a newspaper and people think i’m fat and ugly..heck no..i got the brains, the attitude and I got my right and left hook on permanet PMS!!
So true, but considering this piece is written by another beautiful woman (if your pic is genuine), I smell a conspiracy.
For us normal ouks its getting harder to compete: the straight socail scenes have been invaded by pretty lesbians and the mainly male managers are simply hiring beautiful women – I suppose to motivate the other males or to pi$$ off the other females (envy and lust can be useful tools).
I think its best to join politics: No brains or beauty needed.
Oh..just saw your little introductory profile on the top right corner..It explains everything now. You’re a former Rhodent..you left journalism for advertising *sigh* why Amanda, why?
This really gets on my tits (ahem), because it’s true. I take delight in saying NO! when the cute young things bat their eyelids at me…
we are moving into post pc era with regards to the sexes, a few years ago it would have been considered a great sin against women to suggest that women use their looks to get ahead. it was the secret that everybody knows…
yes…you’re right Hlongwane..it’s the tits and the curves…and the thought of getting a piece of fresh-looking flesh that gets them hired. *sigh*
Abongile got it right. In one of the agencies where I worked, a certain female was said to always present standing up (to indimidate the male clients) but spent the rest of her working life horizontal (marrying the MD after his first divorce). Not sure now, how many divorces are now behind her, but your adjective was good.
I’ve noticed a tendency of people who consider themselves unattractive to think God gives out one talent per person, so for instance if you’re unattractive then you are smart and attractive people are not as smart as you seeing as they got the good looks gift. As unfair as it is some people are smarter and more attractive than you, it’s the sad reality of life, so don’t make the assumption you’ve got one up on the pretty girl.
Apologies for abandoning journalism Abongile. The ad agencies plied me with liquor and I woke up 7 years later. As to your other points, I agree with you that it’s an ‘atrocity’ (although not a crime against humanity) for some peoople to get ahead on looks alone. I’m against that, but not against using your looks to get your ability noticed. For the record, I’ve never slept with any of my bosses.
OK Amanda, I understand where you’d where the heels, but what part of you is covered by the handkerchief? Do you use 1 had to hold it in place? Or do you use two sided tape?
Just wondering…we ordinary women need all the helpful advice we can get.
bye now
oops, sorry about the typos; coffee hasn’t kicked in…it’s 8 am here in the north;
OK Amanda, I understand where you’d wear the heels, but what part of you is covered by the handkerchief? Do you use 1 hand to hold it in place? Or do you use two sided tape?
Just wondering…we ordinary women need all the helpful advice we can get.
bye now
Loved the fact that you said what others often won’t. It helps to be beautiful. But even those not over the top naturally, can do the best with what they have. Whether it’s looks and/or talent, isn’t that what it’s all about: Doing the best with what you sarted with?
This is appalling, yes this is unfortunately the way of the world but it is still completely unacceptable. Women who take advantage of men who judge them on their appearance are horribly prejudiced against men and also have little respect for themselves. To encourage men to treat women in any way as objects is to condone a lack of equality in the workplace. As an attractive woman, the author should be fighting this and not proudly admitting to taking advantage of men (as she sees them) as sex-obsessed animals. As a female in a tradionally “male dominated” profession I find it refreshing when I am treated as an equal and not as “the weaker sex”. Why is it acceptable for women not to fight this? You are doing the modern perception of women (and men) a disfavour.
What about attractive black women? Do they get noticed, or are they invisible?
Joy-Mari, in my experience attractive black women are definitely noticed. Why wouldn’t they be?
What about the saying: sleep your way to the top – how do you think these beauties became CEO’s? not just a pretty face, but a very clever pretty face at that methinks…
Like Sipho, I too take pleasure in batting away an attractive girl who has long eyelashes
The realist in me says: I am glad we are able to admit it. Looks might not get the work done, but it will land you the job.
The idealist says: As true as this article might be, I can’t help but to think of this piece of copy Nike used a while back:
“A woman is often measured by the things she cannot control…She is measured by the way her body curves or doesn’t curve, by where she is flat or straight or round. She is measured by 36-24-36 and inches and ages and numbers, by all the outside things that don’t ever add up…To be measured, let her be measured by the things she can control, by who she is and who she is trying to become. Because every woman knows, measurements are only statistics. And statistics lie….” -Nike Inc.
@ Amanda – U seriously believe that is OK to use your looks to get an advantage over other average looking but equally or higher qualified people in the workplace… Well, Thats just ridiculous.
women are like a road the more curves the road have the more dangerous it becomes
Men will do anything they can to get business and to get promoted. There are many men who don’t get to the top, the guys who did had something extra and made things happen. Business is cut-throat and only the strong survive. Once, work is finished you can live a separate life and not care about what happened during office hours. The smart, attractive girls live their life the same way. This is why they get somewhere. Why should they fight to be seen as “equal”, when what they are doing is “equal” to what there male counterparts are doing? Is the most important thing not to achieve your goals and live the life you want to live? Men wouldn’t care if they were seen as an object in the workplace if they were making money and leading a great life, why should women?
“I’m not against using your looks to get your ability noticed.”
You may want to think about this a bit harder Amanda.
It is equivalent to saying that you aren’t against using your muscles/strength to get you in a position where your ability can be noticed. Or your skin colour. Or your home language. Or your nationality. Or the wealth of your parents.
If one is a purely Machiavellian “pragmatist” who will use every trick in the book to get ahead then that is one thing.
However, most people follow an intuitive morality (and your political studies from Rawls onwards should have taught you this) that is at odds with such a starkly predatory social code.
You seem to be attempting to occupy an awkward middle ground – “it’s quite regrettable that the world is like this but I’m only extracting the advantages that I’m due”. It is an intellectually unsustainable position and a weak rationalisation of self-interest.
Hot women are only air-headed when they don’t actively cash in on their maximum hotness.
Because, no matter how hot you are, your heat will eventually cool as your waist widens and your cute perky parts obey gravity.
OneFlew: Are you one of my Politics lecturers? Seriously though, I do follow an intuitive morality. And if I was truly Machiavellian you wouldn’t even know it.
I do not believe it is ‘predatory’ to use your natural advantages to assist one in doing a good job. If putting on some lipstick helps me sell an idea that generates R2-million of spending, guess what? I’ve created employment and tax revenue. Pragmatism is what gets things done, not idealism.
That said, the people I work with think I’m a commie. Go figure.
We all know it happens, but its quite sickining to read people encouraging it.
Sorry Amanda, no cigar.
It is an equivalent position to me saying that I’m not against using my skin colour to get my ability noticed, and that the natural advantage of my skin colour (and I might use make-up to emphasise my whiteness) helps me be more productive because the people I work with prefer working with whites.
Just wondering is ‘FAT’ tied into ‘UGLY’ or thats just acceptable prejudice. If so will I be accepted in writing that ‘WHITE’ is ‘RICH” –
I think your journalism classes would have help a lot, try part time.
You also seem to suggest that self prejudicing is ok(woman can make prejudices against woman)
Teacher : ‘Do you punch yoursel in a street fight’
Student: ‘No Sir!’
Teacher: ‘Then why would you punch yurself in a verbal fight?” The Great Debators
I see this article as self punching. all the women I admire made it on their passion for what they do not their looks, however i remember what is said about opinions.
@Lovemore Ha ha ha ha ha they will loveumore from now on….