Fat in college.

[lynnadaine]

Okay, I'm writing in regards to my sister and a situation that happened at her college.

She's 21 years old and a senior in college. Well-liked, an amazing student, on student government, in a sorority, etc. She is also fat. She is a size 20/22, 5'6", conservative dresser borderline preppy. Always on point.

Comments

[anadamous]

My heart really goes out to your sister because I imagine that she was talking to this professor because she trusted and respected him; it's disappointing to find out that someone you respect is petty and mean. It's a blow. It sounds, though, like he actually respects her mind, which is a great thing. She can still use him for recommendations and the like; she doesn't have to totally write him off. But it's really too bad she has to lose him as an advisor.

Second, please be sure that your sister understands that this professor's theories do not necessarily have anything to do with why she didn't get the job. Typically, great jobs have scores or even hundreds of great candidates. You have no idea who else was applying or why they were chosen. They may have hired someone within the company. They may have hired someone who was the son of a senator. They may have hired someone who was trilingual with Swahili, Russian and English. They may have hired the last person they interviewed because they were tired and that person was fresh in their minds. Maybe your sister's name is Jenny and two Jennys already work there. Who knows? When there are a ton of qualified candidates, fantastic people get rejected for no particular reason.

What your sister can do is send them a thank you note, saying how much she enjoyed the opportunity to interview with them, since she's still just a senior in college. She enjoyed meeting Sasha, Frankie, and PJ, and loved seeing how a professional office was run, etc. She could then go on to ask for advice - what could she do to improve for future interviews? Any advice they could give, no matter how trivial, would be appreciated. She should send the note in the mail, but include her phone number and email address.

It is certainly possible that there WAS some reason why they didn't hire her, and they'll say something like, "we were concerned that your knowledge of actuarial procedure was weak" or something, but it's also possible that they'll just say, "Your interview was really strong, we loved you, and you should consider applying here again in the future. We decided to hire someone else for reasons that had nothing to do with you." Whatever they say will be helpful to her, if for no other reason than that it restores her confidence.

[croupier]

I really like the thank-you note idea.

[huffy_s]

Agreed. A thank you note can make all the difference. If she really would like to work for that firm, any positive communication is beneficial!

[anadamous]

Especially if they loved her and they'll be hiring again in a couple months...