Weight
I'm facing an impending layoff. I work in a technical field, and I have several years of experience. However, I've had trouble finding a job. I can't say for sure, but I think one factor may be that I'm overweight. I was hoping to lose some weight before I had to go job searching again, and I was doing fairly well, but this layoff has put me back in the job market sooner than I'd expected. Interviewers seem to love me when I have phone interviews, but lose interest when they see me in person. I always dress very professionally on interviews and try to look my best, but I can't help wondering if my weight is the issue when I'm turned down for one job after another. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do about it in the short term. I don't have any health problems - in the years I've been employed, I've rarely used my health insurance at all. I've never had any problems on the job and my supervisors always thought of me as someone who worked hard and did well. (Not that I'm counting, but I use fewer sick days and work longer hours than my coworkers who have small children, for example.) But when I go into an interview, it doesn't seem to matter. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do, or if I just have to hope that the interviewer will look past my appearance. It's hard to tell. I've worked in places that employed a number of overweight people. If it's true that weight makes a difference as far as careers go, then keep in mind that opposites attract, just like in relationships and marriages speaking on the positive side. I would focus more on what you have to offer and stay focused on being professional and neat. There is a misconception that if you are overweight, you must be lazy and smell. I used to be overweight until I lost some 55 pounds. I noticed I wasn't getting promoted and no one took me seriously. Some companies do practice discrimination thinking you are going to increase their health insurance costs. Why not network with your clients or colleagues? See if their companies are hiring. Some companies who are about to lay off employees try to find work for soon to be laid off workers. Good luck. I know what it feels like to be in your shoes. Just keep a positive attitude and look sharp. You will find your dream job! YES you will face intentional and unintentional discrimination because of your weight, your tattoo, your smoker status, your nose ring, your age, your color your..... Control what you can control. Sounds like you are doing what you can to lose weight. But it is going to come off 3-6 pounds a month and that is the best you will be able to do without liposuction.... dramatic calorie reductions etc.... At this point, focus on your resume, your networking skills, your interview skills, your references....
OC, I'm glad you lost the 55 lb. It feels great, doesn't it? Did you use any special diet? I lost 30 lb a couple of years age on the Adlkins diet. It worked for me. By the way, do you still smell? It sounds from your post like you feel somewhat selfconscious because of your weight. I wonder if this carries over to your presentation during interviewers. Perhaps you do better on the phone not because the interviewer can't see you, but because you yourself are more confident knowing that the interviewer can't see you. Lack of confidence and fear of being judged often becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. You know how some people believe that they are the sexiest thing that walked the earth to a point that those around them start believing it too, regardless of what they actually look like? Not to go all philosophical on you, but to a large extent, 'sexy' is a state of mind. I'm not saying there aren't those who discriminate based on weight, gender, race, etc. However, why would you want to work for an ignorant @ss like that anyway? If you want to lose weight for health reasons, kudos to you. However, your goal should be to stay healthy, not to lose pounds. If your only goal is to lose weight, you may become quickly discouraged simply because the pounds do not come off all that fast, even with diet and exercise. In the mean time, there are many things you can do to optimize your interview performance. Make sure you do your homework on the company. Corporate web sites are a great source of information about the company, its management, its mission and history. Also, search the news articles. Google the interviewer's name and see what comes up. Print out some interview questions (they are not hard to find, just do a google search) and practice answering them. Knowing that you are well prepared going in will give you confidence. Try to look good. It doesn't matter what size you are, EVERYONE can look good. I'm sure you can think of some attractive overweight people. Besides dressing well and choosing a hair style that looks good on you, which are both very important when it comes to interviewing, much of looking good is actually in how you feel. Like I said before, when you feel good about yourself, it creates an aura of confidence around you. Which brings me to my third suggestion--try to exercise regularly if you are not doing so already. Working out just makes you feel good and, regardless of whether or not you lose weight (not everybody does, and it's not the end of the world), it's still good for your health. Best of luck! If you want to lose weight for health reasons, kudos to you. However, your goal should be to stay healthy, not to lose pounds. If your only goal is to lose weight, you may become quickly discouraged simply because the pounds do not come off all that fast, even with diet and exercise. I hate to say it but the reality is that weight IS a barrier to employment and so losing weight might be motivated by a desire to get a job and that motivation might actually be more compelling than the motivation to get healthy. This comes back to one of the core job hunting questions: How hungry are you for the job? Hungry enough to quit smoking? Hungry enough to lose weight? Hungry enough to get a tattoo removed? Hungry enough to take a drug test? Hungry enough to take a personailtiy test? Hungry enough to offer your credit for scrutiny? Hungry enough to take night classes, get a degree or take on 70% travel? Every job hunter (and career self-manager) has decisions to make every day. Again, you are in control of those things you can control. You decide how hungry you are. In the short term, this person is hitting the streets IN SOME INTERVIEWS with a "weight disadvantage." Just as a person with a snake tattoo on his/her neck that says "satan rules"is at a "tattoo disadvantage" IN SOME INTERVIEWS. However, in the long term this person can control his/her weight and that WILL make him/her more employable. What you are saying is true in theory. However, something like 60% of those who try to lose weight with diet and exercise alone will fail. The overwhelming majority of those who succeed (I don't remember how many, but definitely more than 60%) will not keep the weight off. I can kind of see where the poster you were responding to was coming from. I hate to say it, but odds aren't on the op's side. Sure it's great that he/she is willing to try, and hopefully, he/she will be one of the few who can get it off and keep it off, but it seems to me like the goal of remaining healthy would be a better long-term motivational tool than desire to lose weight alone (ask any doctor). Even in the best of scenarios, he/she won't be able to accomplish his/her weight loss goal in time for their current job search. Plus, none of us here know that the op's weight alone is really what's costing him/her the jobs. I'm surprised noone here is suggesting that it's possible their interviewing skills need work. Original poster: IMHO, your best bet at this point is to concentrate on things you can control and on goals that can be accomplished in the short term. Has it been a while since your last job search? If so, you may need to read some interviewing articles. Phone interviews, at least in my experience, usually consist of pretty basic questions and aren't hard to ace. The in person interviews are much more in-depth, as well as much more nerve wrecking. Have you tried answering practice questions prior to going on interviews? How is your body language? Are you sure your body language is not conveying the anxiety you are feeling? There is a multitude of factors besides your weight that may be contributing to you not getting the job. Unfortunately, there's just no way to know for sure whether it's your weight or something else. And the reality is that there are interviewers out there who might be turned-off. ButI know many people who are overweight or obese, and it's sometimes been tough for them to get hired. But they've found companies willing to take them, are happy now, and have done well on the job. So for every one who might be turned-off, there is another who isn't. Now what you might want to do is have somebody else, a friend who'll be honest, or someone at the unemployment office do a mock interview. It's possible that it's not your weight, but something else like body language. Over the phone, you're just a voice. And the questions are more screening in nature, rather than more in-depth. Interview success is a combination of many things, dress and professionalism are just two of them. But there are countless other factors that come into play. Maybe you:
During interviews, it's the little things that often make the difference between success and failure. So I suggest getting a third-party assessment to see what else it might be. But if it is a weight issue, then there's not much you can do except show total confidence in your ability to do the job. Let an interviewer know that you are highly capable, great with customers and staff, and they'd be lucky to have somebody with your background and experience. And don't raise anything regarding your health! If they ask, then it's ok because they want to know. | |
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