I watched a documentary on China and was piqued by what one young Chinese woman had to go through for the sake of competing in the job market. Every year, about 20 million new people enter into the job world. Employers can choose to be selective because there are so many people looking for jobs. This influx of new workers create a competitive world where looks are just as important as brains.
The young lady graduated from university and is working in the computer industry. She has plans to further her career. The only thing that she is worried about is competition from much prettier girls. She gives a scenario about two women applying for the same job who basically have the same qualifications. The employer would most likely choose the woman who's easier on the eyes. [It's sad, but I agree with her]
The young woman then proceeded to visit an herbalist who immediately talks about how old the woman looks because of job-related stress. This does not help at all! Then the lady visited a cosmetic surgeon and signed on to have work done on her face. Surgeons operated on her eye lids {she desired on more western looking eye lids}, her nose, and they made her face more symmetrically balanced. Her mother and boyfriend supported the surgery. They also believed that improving one's looks will help with her future. In the end, she was happy with her result because it gave her more confidence in her position at work.
According to the documentary, cosmetic surgery is rising in China. I would hate to think that women must take this route in order to achieve success in work.
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