A woman named Melissa Weaver from New York got a lot of notice on TikTok and in the news. She talked about not getting a top job because she didn’t wear makeup to the interview. People started talking about how society’s ideas about beauty affect women at work. Keep reading to know more about what happened!
Melissa Weaver talked about her job interview for a vice president role in a TikTok video that got very popular. She felt good about how well she could do the job and how well she did in the interview.
Melissa Weaver said in her TikTok video that the interview went really well. She was able to answer all the questions the interviewer asked her with confidence. She used to work in hiring people, so she knew exactly how to handle interviews. Melissa felt like she was a perfect match for the job because her skills and experience matched exactly what the job required. So she thought the interview went great.
But then, Melissa got an email from the person in charge of hiring. They said she wouldn’t be going further in the job application process. Melissa was confused and didn’t understand why they didn’t want to hire her. So, she asked them for feedback to understand what went wrong.
“She told me that my background was just what they wanted, and my experience matched perfectly with what they needed for the job. Also, my personal goals and values were in line with the company’s. But she said she was worried because I didn’t seem to have put in enough effort to look good for the interview, considering how important the job was.”
Credit: Melissa Weaver / TikTok.
Thinking back on what happened, Melissa wondered if not wearing makeup to job interviews or at work made people think women weren’t serious or professional. A lot of people around the world, especially women who faced similar judgments because of how they looked, could relate to her situation. In the comments, many people shared their thoughts.
One person said, “That seems like discrimination. They didn’t hire you because of how you look?”
Someone else suggested Melissa should talk to a lawyer who specializes in employment issues, saying, “Get advice from a professional (signed, someone who knows about job laws).”
Another person shared their own story, saying, “I got a job that was really stressful, and I started wearing less makeup. They told me I looked stressed. When I wore more makeup again, they said I was doing great at my job. But I was doing the same amount of work.”
