To add:
Study after
study has also shown that:
1)
Symmetrical features essentially equate to a perception of
physical beauty when coupled with a
toned physique.
2) This is likely to result in
more favourable reactions towards the symmetrical subject.
Of course, though. Really --
attractive people are far less likely to be carrying defects which could be passed on genetically. Fit people are more likely to be able to provide, and less likely to succumb to
illness. We haven't evolved that far beyond the good-of-the-
tribe-let's-
mate stage of life, and there are a few undercurrents from it circulating around within our brains. Except in some cases -- that cute
secretary becoming an EA -- it's pretty much done on a
subliminal level. You feel that you like the person better than their
uglier counterparts, that you connect more easily, and so favour them with promotions. Maybe that's just a convenient self-delusion, though. People are always very interested in thinking of themselves as
egalitarian.
I worked, at one stage, for a large
recruitment company. One of the things which I discovered was that an interview is, essentially, decided in twenty seconds. It is very unlikely for an interviewer to change their opinion after the initial twenty seconds. So, don't worry too much about those "100 Interview Tips" books. So long as you seem competent, it all comes down to how pretty you made yourself in the morning -- for men and women.
What occurs in twenty seconds? The interviewer assesses your physical appearance: your
symmetry, your
fitness, your clothing and your hairstyle. They also hear your voice, inspecting it to ensure that it doesn't carry an
offensive, grating tone. Then, they are done.
The rest is just gravy, my friends.
As an interesting side-note, you're more likely to get a job from an interview in the
afternoon, where you are cast by afternoon
light, than you are to get one from an
interview on a
rainy morning.
This is
stupid shit, and hopefully it's on the way out, but as it'll probably never have significant public movement behind it, it'll remain a non-issue. Who wants to join the "Coalition of Unattractive Professionals Seeking Equal Promotion"?