When Stilettos met Stereotypes!

As I type this newsletter, the Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin is being bashed on various platforms for partying, drinking & dancing, like normal teenagers (even adults), at their graduation ceremony!

This particular incident made me shift from the topic I was originally writing about and rather write about stereotypes and how women in a certain field are expected to behave and dress in a specific way. As strange as this may sound, people's positions, jobs, intellect, and personalities are judged based on how they look. This holds very true, especially in the case of women, in an unfortunate way!

To help you understand the title even better let us consider a case in point imagine yourself as the senior software developer of one of the top firms in the world. You're waiting to interview candidates for the role of software developer. A woman walks in wearing a pair of shiny stilettos, a denim jacket, and full-blown makeup. Now, tell yourself what your first impression of her looks like. On the very contrary, if a woman with nerdy glasses, sneakers and a casual T-shirt enters the room, I'm sure the impression would be the total opposite. Yes, that's "when Stilettos meet stereotypes!" Not to worry, this is what society has molded us into since the very beginning.

Now to come clean, I myself have been on the other side, indulging in stereotyping and some (many, truly) hasty judgments. Well, experiences are your best teacher and time, your best guide. But nonetheless, I have my own fair share of experiences when I was considered frivolous, and irresponsible based on the way I looked & dressed up thus, making me devoid of responsibilities I was actually capable of taking up!! Multiple instances at work where my opinions were not heard because hey, I definitely look like someone who was up all night painting my nails after a great manicure and pedicure session instead of analyzing the problem at hand & brainstorming on how to tackle the same.

We need to embrace all types of personalities, respect their choices & stop discounting their intellect and knowledge because they don't look like the job they've applied for. ew practice employers have been following nowadays is mentioning statements like - "We would love to have you on board even if you have tattoos, colored hair, or piercings!" After reading this line in the Job Description, I'd flamboyantly walk into the interview room. Why? because I just described myself! Irrespective of how important & comfortable I feel this way, my biggest asset is using my knowledge & intellect to come up with creative, feasible & impactful ways to solve a problem at hand. My abilities do not disappear if I wear stilettos to work instead of flats, haha!

Happy Weekend.