Sorry, you don’t fit the description of what we are looking for.
You may have noticed, or at least heard of, many companies wishing to see a photo attached to your resume when applying for a particular job. But how is a photo supposed to show an individual’s ability to complete what is necessary for employment?
By requiring a potential employee to include a photo of themselves with their resume, companies are taking away from the most important aspect: the skills an employee could possibly hold that are beneficial to the company.
According to The Balance Careers, “The rationale for excluding photos has been to protect employers from allegations of discrimination based on race, age, weight, gender, attractiveness, or personal style.”
As The Balance Careers states, there are many physical features one could possibly place judgment on even though all of the previously mentioned traits show little, if any, indication of your ability to be successful.
When an employer requests to see a photo with your resume, it does more harm than good. While many of us would like to think otherwise, there is a chance of biased opinion playing a major role in the process of hiring.
While your physical features are in no way a representation of your skill level or work ethic, including a photo of yourself with your resume gives a potential employer the chance to place judgment even before an in-person interview is set into place.
Some of the hardest and most diligent workers I have come to know have all had at least one of the aforementioned traits, but if their employers had not given them a chance to prove themselves despite physical features, that company could have turned down one of their most valuable employees.
What should be most important to potential employers is your skills and what you have to offer the company, not your physical appearance.
In a time where equality is one of our ultimate goals, we should strive for impartial and honest feedback, especially in something as important as a possible job.
With this being said, I find it to be our duty to make a difference in the job field. It is important that we spread the message of equality in every aspect, and that judgment is withheld until after a proper interview is given to every candidate who fits the description.
