A 21-year-old claims she’s been turned away from dozens of jobs because employers are distracted by her appearance.
A young brunette has been left frustrated and disheartened after attending around 50 different job interviews without success, saying she just can’t seem to get hired.Alê Gaúcha, 21, explained that she has been trying hard to land work as a nanny since completing a childcare course three years ago. But despite her training, she believes her body and looks often steal the spotlight, making employers focus more on her appearance than her skills.”I would go in confident, present my certificates, talk about everything I had learned, but no one ever got back to me,” Gaúcha told NeedToKnow, recalling her repeated efforts to show her professional side during interviews.”At first, I thought it was due to lack of experience, but after so many attempts, I started to believe the reason was something else,” the Brazilian native added, sharing how the constant rejection made her start questioning the real reason she was being overlooked.
Her struggles, she claims, may be even more pronounced in the nannying field. Many women looking to hire childcare help are reportedly reluctant to employ someone they view as overly attractive, fearing it might cause unwanted problems at home.
“I wanted to show my professional side, but it seemed like no one could see it,” the aspiring nanny admitted, expressing her disappointment at how her attempts to prove her abilities fell flat.
Instead of benefitting from what’s often called “pretty privilege,”, where good looks are seen as an advantage, Gaúcha feels she is experiencing the reverse — where her appearance is making employers wary rather than welcoming.
Still, Gaúcha hasn’t let her situation stop her from finding a way forward. Instead of giving up, she turned her attention to social media and began sharing photos and videos online.To her surprise, her following grew rapidly, and before long she was earning money as a content creator. While it wasn’t the path she originally intended, she admits the work has given her independence and a sense of accomplishment.
Even if I don’t practice [nannying] today, the nanny I once was is still with me,” she explained. “I still feel connected to that experience because I dedicated myself and prepared for it.””On one side, I was looking for stability; on the other, I found freedom.”
