If ever there was, in her own words, 'a case study in what NOT to do' when it comes to turning down an applicant, Sara Christensen from Kickass Masterminds would be it.
We are in an incredible time where women are supporting and celebrating each other more than ever before, and incidents like this show that, unfortunately, not all of us are on board.
Emily Clow was publicly shamed by Kickass Masterminds after applying for an internship with them. CEO Sara Christensen posted a photo of Emily in a bikini, taken from her personal Instagram page, saying that they were 'looking for a professional marketer - not a bikini model', followed by 'this is not doing you any favours in finding a professional job.'
I can't even begin to imagine the shock and outrage Emily must have felt when she saw what the marketing company had done. As a marketing professional myself with a love of travel and surfing, my Instagram has more than it's fair share of photos of me in bikinis. While they are not images I would share on LinkedIn, they are certainly not images I would censor to protect my career prospects. That's not to say that I don't think some people will raise their eyebrows, I'm sure they do, but to think that I would not be hired for a job I am otherwise suitable for because of them just baffles me. Was the fear that Emily would stroll into the office in her red bikini? Did jealousy play a part? Or is the sad truth that some women just aren't ready to support strong body confident women in the workplace?
Sara has since posted a statement on the company website apologising for her behaviour, calling it a 'very human moment' and an 'error in judgement'.
Let's hope that some good can come from this and that companies like Kickass Masterminds learn from their mistakes.
Emily Clow, 24, from Austin, Texas, applied to the marketing company Kickass Masterminds, which later posted her photo saying it was 'looking for a professional marketer - not a bikini model'. A caption on the image read: 'PSA (because I know some of you applicants are looking at this): do not share your social media with a potential employer if this is the kind of content on it. 'Go on with your bad self and do whatever in private. But this is not doing you any favors in finding a professional job.'
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