Make yourself presentable!

I was invited to a job interview two weeks ago and I found myself struggling with creating the perfect female appearance. What comes natural to so many women feels like a chore to me. Using the perfect make-up, making my hair look extra stylish and professional and painting my nails can be rather stressful tasks for a woman who prefers to spend as little time as possible getting ready in the morning. 

To be clear from the beginning: this is not a rant about women who enjoy using make-up and doing their nails, it's a rant about society asking every woman to adhere to the 'norm' of what has now become the image of a representable, professional-looking woman. 

This is not to say that women should not be asked to turn up clean and tidy when invited to a job interview. Rather, it is a question about what constitutes a 'tidy' woman? 

If it is acceptable for me to use a minimal amount of make-up and rock the natural but tidy look once I have been employed (however, this obviously depends on the industry), why is it that I get told I should use more make-up and spend more time doing my nails for the interview? 

Has it really become unacceptable for women to look as natural as possible if they wish to do so? Presenting yourself with seemingly perfect skin, bigger eyes, shiny nails and rosy cheeks has become a necessity and is no longer a choice. In modern times where women have the right and opportunity to lead companies, rule countries and get dirty in a game of rugby, why is it that we are still clinging on to the stereotype of the beautiful woman when it comes to job interviews?  

Time to take the next step towards gender equality

I campaign for an equal treatment of men and women in this respect. A clean, professional look does not require a layer of chemicals on a man's face, and I refuse to accept that it does on a woman's face. This is about raising women's status in society by focusing on what actually matters: skills, passion and knowledge!