‘If you look the part you’ll get the job’: should career professionals help clients to enhance their career image?

Abstract

This article presents a critical exploration of the role of career professionals in supporting people to reflect on and enhance their appearance, attractiveness and self-presentation (career image). The article is conceptual and based on a review of the broader literature on career success, appearance and attractiveness. It explores the evidence for a relationship between attractiveness and career, and the authors propose a conceptual framework in which career image is comprised of three elements (interpersonal skills, aesthetic presentation and beauty). The paper examines a possible role for career professionals in relation to this and then critically examines this role and concludes with the proposition of a research agenda in this area.

Keywords:

• attractiveness
• beauty
• professional ethics
• career professionals
• career development

Notes on contributors

Tristram Hooley is Professor of Career Education and Head of iCeGS. He is responsible for overseeing the development of the research and education programmes run by the Centre. He has research interests in the role of technology in career development, the careers of researchers, careers policy and the changing nature of careers work in schools.

Julia Yates is a senior lecturer in the school of psychology at the University of East London. Julia runs masters programmes in career coaching and in careers and teaches on a range of other programmes. Her research interests are career decision-making and effective learning and teaching strategies for developing career practitioners.