February 17, 2014 9:00am by David Farrar

Amazing – presentation helps with jobs

Maya Croll-Wright, 19, has several years of experience in hospitality, strong motivation and an outgoing personality. Yet, she struggles to find a job. Why? She has tattoos, blue hair and describes herself as overweight.

“I have had countless job interviews after applying for every job I can find. But as soon as they see me in person, it all goes downhill.”

In the past two months, Croll-Wright says she had about 20 interviews for jobs in cafes, shops and restaurants around Christchurch. She has been rejected from every one.

Then change the hair colour, and maybe you should have fewer visible tattoos until you have more work experience. In front line customer service roles, presentation is a fact of life. If that is where you want to work, then you may need to compromise on how you wish to look. It is less of an issue in back room roles.