Will 'looking good' help you get far in the workplace?
Some people think that it's your work ethic that gets you ahead in the workplace, while others, like this woman, seem to think otherwise.
My producer, Simon, called me late on Wednesday night because he didn’t know how to deal with what his sister was doing every single morning before leaving for work.
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She’s just recently started her new job at a massive company in Durban as a trainee. So, naturally, she wants to work her way up as quickly as possible. She said something interesting to him which made him think. After asking her why she started using make-up all of a sudden, she said: "I’m wearing make-up so people won’t think that I’m 21 and will take me more seriously. I mean, how else am I supposed to get promoted?" Rightfully so, it hit Simon like a ton of bricks because he doesn’t want her to give up her own personal beliefs.
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I can totally sympathise with his sister. I know these things can be tough, I have friends who battle working in a male dominated company and battle to be taken seriously. But at what cost? What should we do here?
Should she carry on wearing make-up just to get ahead - even if it means going against her own personal beliefs? Or should she stick it to the man, drop the make-up, and go to work however she wants to and let her work speak for itself?