No Makeup, No Job

A woman without paint is like food without salt." Before you balk, that's from the Roman philosopher Plautus back in 200 BC-ish.

A recent story about a woman being fired for not wearing makeup (reminiscent of colleague Cynthia Nellis's story about a woman fired for her gray hair) prompted the use of the quote.

The woman, who worked at Harrods department store in London, was incensed at having to look "like a different person" and claimed that it's completely different from wearing clothes. (Same issue here for a California waitress.)

But is it? Let's examine:

- Plenty of jobs have uniforms and dress codes (wearing makeup was part of Harrods's dress code).
-If you get a job where a business suit or a service uniform are required (medical field, waiter, maid, factory worker), can you come in wearing a tie-dye T-shirt and jeans?
- Even more analogous: can you come in naked?

Technically, if you agreed to take the job, you agreed to the terms of the job.

I expect there could be "feminist backlash" on this. I have plenty of friends who adhere to Hamlet's angry accusation at women: "God gives you one face and you paint yourselves another." I understand, but there are more ways to look at it.

Getting a job (or keeping one)
You don't need me to tell you its tough job market, the numbers speak for themselves. And our age group is a challenging factor (even though it shouldn't be… with a wealth of experience, expertise and wisdom, less on-the-job training needed and a host of other reasons, it's ridiculous that this is the case, but I digress.)

Many years ago I didn't get a job because I refused to cut my hair. I had other options but a still sort of regret it — it would have been a good to have on my resume.

Pamela Claughton, president and principal recruiter at Custom Search Group in Boston, has been headhunting for over 17 years, placing people in jobs at almost every level. She confirmed:

Wearing makeup can make or break your chances of winning and keeping a job."

Her advice:

- Bad makeup is worse than no makeup, for instance lips outlined in a dark color that don't match lighter lips, blue eye shadow, big distracting earrings.

- You shouldn't notice the makeup, but there should be enough there to enhance your looks and present a polished and professional appearance.

- This is true for most jobs, but especially any that have a visible component, such as a receptionist who is the first person a visitor sees when they walk in the door of a company. Your makeup and appearance are a reflection on the company.

- If you are in a less visible position that doesn't require interacting with others often, then it's far less important, but still helpful on a job interview to look well put together.

Pam said advising clients on makeup is one of the issues they address:

I had a candidate who had outlined her lips in dark brown liner and left the inside bare, had dark rimmed eyes and big dangly earrings. Her [work] experience was excellent, but we wanted to send her on an intervies for a conservative financial services firm. We told her if she wanted a good shot at the job, she should tone down the makeup and wear smaller earrings. She did and got the job. 

Similarly, we sent a great older woman for an interview as a receptionist at a law firm. They liked her but the HR woman was concerned that she wore no makeup and that the partners wanted a polished professional image at the front desk. We advised her to wear a little makeup for her next round… she did and got the job."

Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart® and author of Six Steps To Job Search Success agrees:

Looks matter, and it isn't as cold as it reads. [They] matter because being put together physically is one signal that you're a put together person, and in a competitive job market, every advantage matters. Looks matter because going the extra mile to look good begets confidence, which is also attractive on the job search."

She adds that you do not have to be a beauty queen.

Boomers don't have to worry about looking like they're a Hollywood ingénue.  Employers are impressed with polished, neat, classy candidates, not supermodels." 

That's a relief; try looking at it this way:

• Makeup is an option for women.
• Men might be envious: My friend Matt might even say a luxury. He maintains women are lucky with all their fashion, and makeup choices. He looks the way he looks and there's no way he can make himself look better for a job interview, or whatever, he complains.
• If you don't want to wear makeup, don't, but maybe find a job where that's a viable option. A friend of mine is a professor at a feminist university where almost no one wears makeup – so she feels guilty when she does wear a little bit.
• This has been going on for centuries: I remember reading, in Patricia Phillippy's Painting Women: Cosmetics, Canvases, and Early Modern Culture, the double-edged sword began way back. Men extolled the damask cheek and ruby lip and all that, but criticized women for wearing makeup. So if you didn't live up the ideal, woe is you. So use it as a power tool.
• The authenticity issue: There are plenty of women who don't wear makeup that are insincere, two-faced or backstabbing. The presence or lack of makeup is not an indication of your authenticity. That only comes from the inside, and it's a lot more visible than makeup.

Still skeptical? Check out this article: Makeup Means Money, about a women who tested her job prospects by changing her appearance.

Bottom line: Make makeup work for you. Think of it as another item your closet.

More on makeup that might help you get a job:
Makeup Tips for a Quick Eye Lift
Do We Really Need Foundation?
5 Ways to Hide Under-Eye Circles
5 Drugstore Makeup Buys That Work
10 Quick Makeup Tricks to Look Younger