Will loosing weight get me a job

jadethief

I used to be in a position where I did the hiring for my unit. I never hired or rejected somebody because of their physical appearance. The people I did hire were personable, funny,and came across as competent and confident. One lady was 300+ pounds and when I left that job, she moved up into my position.

Here's a few of the people I didn't hire:

The person who, when we called to set up the interview, answered the phone with, "What in the hell do you want now?!!"

The older woman who spent most of the interview whining about how nobody would hire her because she's older.

The people who had relatives that worked there who came across with the attitude that the interview was a mere formality.

The person who stated that her goal was to move up in the organization. Um. .. yeah. That would be my job.

The person who was only looking for a job until they graduated from college.

The people who were more interested in the perks that came with job rather than the job.

Also, let me add that because hiring managers get so many applications and resumes for one position, if yours has spelling or grammatical errors or is otherwise poorly completed it's not going to help your chances.

Wildflower0106

Being obese never stopped me from getting a job. It also never stopped me from moving up in my career.

MsPudding

Unfortunately it matters especially for women the higher you go. There aren't too many fat female CEOs out there.

I'm female and whilst not a CEO I'm a 'C' title in a company in a male-orientated industry. I've also been in the 'obese' section of the BMI scale for most of my adult life.

So whilst I don't disagree that weight can hinder you, at the end of the day if you've got the skills and a company wants you, they want you.


ETA: There's also a bit of an irony in this hiring malarky because if you look round the average boardroom, you'll find it populated by middle-aged men who're overweight.

36Frieda

I got my last job when I was at my highest weight. There were a large number of applicants but I was very confident about my skills and it showed. I think sometimes when we are at a high weight our confidence suffers and we sell ourselves short.

fit4lifeUcan2

Probably not, but correct spelling would help--lose weight, losing weight--not loose.

Was thinking the same thing..
Although I'm sure that while its illegal to discriminate due to weight I'm sure on some level the person interviewing is thinking about it and it could be counted against you. However, lots of obese people work so obviously it doesn't matter to everyone.
I certainly wouldn't blame your weight if you don't get the job since this person who interviewed you is herself overweight. Don't use your weight as an excuse or reason why you didn't get hired. Maybe you need to take another look at your interviewing skills and professional attire. Study up on what not to say during an interview. Research the company you're interviewing with so you're better prepared etc.

mssierra2u

This issue is on the list of reasons that I stopped sabotaging myself. In the limited universe of interviewers, lets assume that half of the interviewers have either an acknowledged bias or an unacknowledged one. If the job I want has a 50:50 chance of being decided upon by someone who has a bias, I cannot logically hang on to a lifestyle that is, for me, within my control. I cannot control many other possible 'bias' triggers: gender, age, ethnicity, eye color, man-hands, etc. But the weight thing, I do have some control over, although I'm only a third of the way there.

Believe it or not, when I feel like quitting this process, switching the perspective from "feeling" like I want a bouquet of Snickers bars or to find out exactly what I would do for a Klondike bar or three, to "am I being fiscally responsible to myself" by indulging often works wonders. Most of the time. In any event, it's another rationalization that helps me make better choices when I don't want to.

So, to answer your question... maybe.

lessthan60

It's not a bias, it's a health concern if you're obese. You're more likely to take time off or get sick if you're obese than if you're in a normal weight range. It's more of a precautionary measure in order to save a company money in the long term. This is especially true if the company offers health benefits.

Kamikazeflutterby

Probably not, but correct spelling would help--lose weight, losing weight--not loose.

Apparently being a d bag is ok though.:drinker:

Yeah, it's way less of a d-bag move to assume people are too stupid to learn and let them go around looking like an idiot. :drinker:

clepant

Yes...it influences being hired for a job. When a person sees you as a person that appears to be in control of eating healthy and working to maintain an appropriate body weight it shows the interviewer that you hopefully make good choices and that you will do so at the job. First impressions count. In my line of work, body piercings and tattoos are probably also turn offs. They shouldn't be but they do influence the interviewers decision making. In other fields they probably would not be an issue.

itsjustdawn

Probably not, but correct spelling would help--lose weight, losing weight--not loose.

I like you

dym123

I was fortunate that my company was looking for the best person for the position and not the fittest, since I was a 100lbs heavier when they hired me almost 3 years ago.

ETA: I was out of work for almost a year before I was hired in my current position, and yes I took a lot of tests as part of the interview process, including psychological, math and spelling.

tlou5

I conduct the interviews in my upstairs office and if you're huffing and puffing making it up the long flight of stairs it isn't likely I'll be hiring you.

Well, that's going to get you and your company sued. I truly hope someone you work for or have refused a job offer sees this and figures out it is you some day.

It makes a huge difference if you are healthy enough to do the job and I don't care how many people tell me that they are overweight but in really good physical condition it's never worked out that way.

I'm overweight and in significantly better condition than most people I know, and I know TONS of fit young college students.

I think being significantly overweight is a reflection of how much effort you put into all aspects of your life.

That's because you are an ignorant troll and a blight on society. I gained a ton of weight while I was suffering through some liver problems. Prior to that, I worked on a farm doing hard physical labor all day that most people would cringe at the thought of. I exercise daily, and I had even gone back to school to get a degree in mathematics while at the same time being a single father for three young boys, the youngest of which was 1 at the time.

Tell me more about how you put that much more effort into life than me. I dare you.

I think this poster makes a good point. I also gained my weight due to health reasons (Lupus). Prior to that I was thin and exercising 1.5 hours daily. When first became ill that was no longer possible. The large amounts of steroids also helped to pack on pounds. It was not a matter of being "lazy". It was a health problem I couldn't get under control without drugs. Now that it IS under control I am able to start losing weight again as well as exercise, although not to the level I had previously been able to.

mjf0461

Yes, it's one of unsaid reasons you don't get the job. And for women it's even tougher.

nomeejerome

I had a job interview today and ended up chatting about how I've lost weight. The interviewer had been trying to lose weight herself and asked how I did it. We both seemed to bond and chat for a while over it. Anyway I'm hoping she's thinking "if I give her the job she'll help me lose weight"
It got me thinking though, I've had a few interviews and wondered if me being overweight stopped me getting a job.

It is possible that being overweight has stopped you from getting a job, but you are never going to know that as fact. Although you and the interviewer had a nice conversation about weight loss, I would question getting a job for simply helping the interviewer lose weight. I know you are hopeful about that, but it sounds unrealistic and setting yourself up for headaches down the road if you got the job.

CollieFit

I don't think they test spelling in most job interviews..

Erm no... because you wouldn't get past the application form stage.

jeremyjirwin

I conduct the interviews in my upstairs office and if you're huffing and puffing making it up the long flight of stairs it isn't likely I'll be hiring you.

Well, that's going to get you and your company sued. I truly hope someone you work for or have refused a job offer sees this and figures out it is you some day.

Why? That's where my office is. I can choose to meet you in my office or the lunch room. I choose the office and I run those stairs all day long. If you can't make it up there easily once then you probably aren't going to be a good candidate for working a 12 hour day at a physically demanding job.

I was referring to your practice of not hiring fat people just because they are fat.

It makes a huge difference if you are healthy enough to do the job and I don't care how many people tell me that they are overweight but in really good physical condition it's never worked out that way.

I'm overweight and in significantly better condition than most people I know, and I know TONS of fit young college students.

That would be your opinion of yourself and you're entitled to it but if you can't prove that your weight isn't a hindrance to the job I need you to do then I'll use my own judgement of how you present yourself.

A hindrance to a job where you are working in an office? Or a hindrance to your personal tastes?

I think being significantly overweight is a reflection of how much effort you put into all aspects of your life.

That's because you are an ignorant troll and a blight on society. I gained a ton of weight while I was suffering through some liver problems. Prior to that, I worked on a farm doing hard physical labor all day that most people would cringe at the thought of. I exercise daily, and I had even gone back to school to get a degree in mathematics while at the same time being a single father for three young boys, the youngest of which was 1 at the time.

Tell me more about how you put that much more effort into life than me. I dare you.

Prior to your weight gain you worked a physical job, doesn't mean you could do it after. I'm assuming with your "go getter" attitude that you'll lose the weight again and become the fine physical specimen you were before. We all have challenges in life, I won't bore you with my life story to justify our hiring practices because I can already tell from your attitude here that you have a huge chip on your shoulder which most likely comes across quite clearly in an interview. That's why we do long interviews and ask lots of questions. True colors usually come out fairly quickly.

[/quote]

No, I just hate ignorance, especially when it comes from ignorant people who feel they need to try to hurt the feelings of others using their ignorance. Does it make you feel good to tell people you don't even know that you are better than them, just because you aren't fat? Does it make you a lot happier in life to decide that anyone who does not have at least the same body fat percentage as you is not worth as much as you as a person because they haven't put forth the same effort you have? Why do you make the assumption that , because it has barely taken you any work to maintain your fitness level throughout life, that everyone fatter than you must be working FAR less than you on their fitness level? Believe it or not, not all fat people are pounding big macs while resting on their sofa, tuned into their TVs while they wait for their TV dinner to get done cooking so they have something salty to offset the sweet taste of their caramel coated ice cream sandwiches.

I can still do the farm work as always, I just gained a bunch of fat. I've also managed working, going to school, and running a household as a single parent with three small children for the last three years. Losing weight isn't a simple thing either, no matter how much of a "go getter" I am. Furthermore, there are many people in this country with very real health problems that affect their ability to control their weight, such as hypothyroidism for instance. You coming on here to execute your brand of fat shaming is not helping those people either. Try to be a decent human being to others and be supportive to people who actually have to work hard to do things like get fit and lose weight.. Then again, as you said before, true colors come out fairly quickly, and you made it obvious right from the start what kind of person you are.

alimak21

There is a lot of research about how the perceived attractiveness of a candidate does impact a interviewer. Stinks, but it's true. I don't think that she will want to hire you based on you helping her lose weight. I like to believe that in most cases, experience trumps a lot. That being said, the fact that you chatted and "bonded" during the interview probably says a lot to her about your personality (personable/friendly/etc.) THAT may help set you apart from other candidates with equal qualifications. Good luck in your job search!

jedgarner11

I think it will help me

brandyme

I had a job interview today and ended up chatting about how I've lost weight. The interviewer had been trying to lose weight herself and asked how I did it. We both seemed to bond and chat for a while over it. Anyway I'm hoping she's thinking "if I give her the job she'll help me lose weight"
It got me thinking though, I've had a few interviews and wondered if me being overweight stopped me getting a job.

I would hope that the interviewer, in this case, would not hire you based on your conversation just because she wants help losing weight. I think that conversation could possibly work in your favor because it speaks to your dedication and ability to follow trough with difficult tasks in your personal life and that could translate into your abilities to do the same at work.

When it comes down to it, I say that weight is absolutely a factor in getting the job just as gender or anything else could be. Yeah, it's not right but it happens. Unfortunately, skinny or attractive people have an edge over overweight or unattractive people in the job market. I can see good reasons for this, not acceptable reasons mind you, but employers likely do not want to hire ill people or people who need special treatment. The misconception could be that skinny people are healthy people, therefore they will need less accommodations or will cost the company less in health care expenditures or may not call into work as often. I want to emphasize that I do not agree, but that this could be a factor.

Ultimately, we all want to make ourselves as marketable as possible, so if that means losing weight then I'm up for the challenge. It's not right, but it is survival of the fittest. So, if we can spend years and years to obtain degrees to make ourselves knowledgeable in our area of focus we should also put effort into our overall appearance, the presentation layer of our sales pitch.

Miepke99

I'm quite sure that I still haven't got a job because I'm overweight. I've sent out over 300 applications since February and no succes yet. When I went on interviews, most interviewers just looked at me like I was a piece of garbage. Hopefully that'll change in the future.

I do hope that you're being accepted for the job, though! Not because you've got the same interests as the interviewer, but because your qualifications match.