Woman rejected after a job interview for not wearing makeup

Looking for a job may be one of society’s most dreaded tasks. However, when you finally find what feels like a good fit, it can hurt even more when things don’t work out. 

And if things go south for a reason that doesn’t make sense, it can be downright confusing.

One woman experienced all of these emotions when she was told she wasn’t chosen for a job because of the way she presented herself physically.

The woman claimed she didn’t receive a job offer because she didn’t wear makeup to the interview.

TikTok user Melissa Weaver posted a video that went viral in which she said she was rejected after a job interview because she didn’t wear any makeup.

“I interviewed for a job earlier this week,” she explained to her viewers. “The interview went so well. Every question she had, I had a great answer for. I used to work in recruitment. I know how to interview.”

Weaver felt like she was a perfect fit for the job, so she didn’t understand what had gone wrong when she received an email telling her that she would not be advancing in the process.

“I get an email from the recruiter saying that I’m not going to be moving on to the next round,” Weaver said. “I was really bummed because I wanted the job, but I was also very confused.”

Weaver was so confused about why she was not chosen for the job that she decided to email the recruiter and ask for some feedback.

“She said that while my background was exactly what they were looking for, my experience lined up with what they need for the position, and my own personal goals and values aligned with the company’s, she was concerned that for my interview, I hadn’t put enough effort in my appearance given the level of role I was interviewing for,” she explained, stating that she had interviewed for a vice president position.

Weaver said that she felt there was nothing wrong with her appearance. She had dressed nicely and appropriately. The only thing she could think of was that she didn’t wear any makeup.

I don’t really wear a lot of makeup. Not to be quirky, I just don’t,” she said.

It’s no surprise that women are taken more seriously when wearing makeup.

In the world we live in, where appearance is everything, it’s not surprising that women are judged for not wearing makeup in professional situations. 

In fact, a 2016 study found that attractive individuals outearned their peers by about 20%.

The gap narrowed when researchers factored in grooming, which for women included wearing makeup and other “beauty practices.”

It’s hardly shocking to learn that whether or not women wear makeup affects others’ professional opinions of them. Society is certainly preoccupied with visual aesthetics, especially for women. 

Fellow TikTok users noted how unfair this was, especially in a workforce that already discriminates against women far more than men.

“This would never be said to a man,” one person argued.

“Pretty Privilege and ‘corporate image’ is a real thing,” another user pointed out.

“I feel like that’s gender-based discrimination, and you could sue,” a third commenter wrote.

For Weaver’s part, she stated in a follow-up video that she has no intention of suing or doing anything else that could jeopardize her job search. 

While she’s still looking, there’s no question that she avoided a company that was a major red flag, as many pointed out in the comments.