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Greybeard storytime: In the middle of my 17 years working remotely at a tech megacorp, I moved to a product manager role from a custom engineering manager. A c
by wintermutestwin 4y ago
Greybeard storytime:
In the middle of my 17 years working remotely at a tech megacorp, I moved to a product manager role from a custom engineering manager. A couple of years in to my PM role I was feeling stagnant in my career so I purposefully got a headshot done wearing a sport coat and tie to replace my younger me ponytail headshot on our intranet directory.
The first change I noticed was a major difference in the respect and deference I received on calls. Over the next couple of years, I was promoted twice and was offered several lateral move opportunities.
Obviously, some of this change was due to my intentionality, but I attribute the headshot very highly.
Some important factors: I worked with a large number of salespeople in a highly matrixed salesforce. I worked on large global teams and people from some geos were more obvious in their deference. I am of above average attractiveness.
- avgcorrection 4y ago> I am of above average attractiveness. Greybeard things.
- gr4yb34rd 4y agoindeed.
- californical 4y agoI didn’t get the impression that they were claiming to be a model or anything — nearly anyone be “above average” attractiveness given some continuous effort. I’m assuming that they meant it more from that perspective. Then they learned that corporatizing their efforts helped their career too.
- wintermutestwin 4y agoI only mentioned it as attractiveness could have been a factor contributing to my career success. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2019/07/17/its-time-to-expose-the-attractiveness-bias-at-work/?sh=6d992acd1324 https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2019/07/17/its-ti...
- hilariouswhip 4y agoI didn’t intend to brag!: it was only a means to brag about my career success.
- FrontierPsych 4y agoHuh...I was about to call bullshit on this, but specifically only for the C suite executives. Then, in contradiction to all known online posting habits of most commenters, I decided to check my assumptions and go to a site that lists all the Fortune 500 companies and check the pictures of Fortune 500 leadership. I know, pretty bizarre, right? Checking to see one is right in their assumptions before inflicting their own opinions on everyone else. My conclusion - executives, both board of directors and management, were all above average looking. Not one was a supermodel level, of course. But almost all were above average looking. But no way below average super nasty looking snaggle-tooth acne pockmarked people with a lazy eye looking in the opposite direction. No fat people at all. Of course, There were a few slightly below average looking people, but that is not the norm. There was one group of executives at one company that all of them were below average, but that was an anomoly. So yes, get that plastic surgery. Get good haircuts. Stay in good physical shape.
- Georgelemental 4y agoCorrelation or causation? Perhaps people who keep in shape are also more organized and hardworking, or maybe mutational load affects both physical attractiveness and career sucess.
- RobotToaster 4y agoMost likely all those people can afford good dentists, dermatologists, dieticians, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if it's the norm at that level to have makeup artists for headshots either.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]