Fat in college.
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.
( The situation is she had a meeting with a male professor of hers in her department. )
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.
( The situation is she had a meeting with a male professor of hers in her department. )
I am concerned that saying fat women don't fit in with a company's corporate image is a slippery slope, because you also don't see many women or minority CEOs, and could probably count on one hand the number of LGBTQ CEOs.
It may be a bit pedantic, but there's a difference between people projecting their internalized stereotypes during an interview and concluding that someone is not "right for the job" because they know that fat people are lazy, or minorities don't work hard, or some other kind of huge bullshit, than a company sanctioning or encouraging the hire of people with a certain appearance to fit in with their image.
I have been in on many interviews in academia, government, and small companies, and never once have I ever discussed a person's weight as part of whether or not we should hire them. that is not to say that people's own biases don't affect their individual decisions, but I think you would be hard pressed to find any non-inclusive appearance biases encouraged in a corporate environment.
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I agree with everything you're saying, especially that - I don't believe it might be part of an actual, admitted "corporate image" or even some kind of sexist/sizeist perception of what a good employee would be, but moreso the fact of an unspoken desirable office image to be upheld. In my experience in working in a corporate office (1200+ people) I rarely remember seeing any women who would be considered "fat" by (faulty) societal standards.
I'm not saying she shouldn't be pissed, or shouldn't inquire as to why she wasn't hired, and if the professor implied in any way that it is acceptable to discriminate based on size she should pursue that with department heads and the like.
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My real worry is that when we say "companies don't want to hire fat people" and believe it, than we eat - internalize - that stereotype and give up on ourselves.
Me, I'm a really smart woman, but I worry that I come across as a flake and a ditz in person. When I don't get a job, my first thought is, "they saw I'm an idiot." I project my insecurities on their perception of me, which is ten kinds of messed up and doesn't do anything to help me in the long run. If a mentor implied to me after an interview where I hadn't gotten the job that I come across as an idiot and suggest I speak to someone smart about how to talk, I would be devastated, and it would be easy to convince myself I could never get the job I wanted unless they got to know me inside and truly saw how brilliant I am.
Well, I would have been when I was in college. Today I'd probably tell him to bite my ass, and go on more interviews.
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That's a good point. I suppose the problem I'm missing here is that it's wrong, in the first place, for the professor to assume that this had anything to do with her weight, and to perpetuate THAT idea (even if there is a small chance it may be true) is particularly devastating. Thanks for the explanation. :)
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