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Ban on profile photo on resumes

Posted November. 30, 2016 07:18,   

Updated November. 30, 2016 07:24

한국어

Before-and-after pictures are not just in cosmetic surgery advertisements. Many photographers use before and after pictures to promote their resume picture business. The contrast is made after pictures are edited on computer to the extent that is comparable to plastic surgery. After photos show that both men and women have a perfectly symmetric face and their chin is sharp.

Tylor Rash, an American who is known as a "man with a sexy brain," once criticized Korean practices related to resumes. When he applied for internship, he said he was puzzled by the employer’s request for a picture on his resume. In the U.S., applicants are not allowed to have a photo on a resume due to the concerns over possible discrimination against gender, age, race and appearance before landing on a job.

Korean job applicants who face a high unemployment rate focuses so much on their profile picture on a resume as well as extensive experience and strong capabilities because they believe a picture can be a competitive edge in an environment where people value appearance. According to an online survey of 482 job seekers, eight out of 10 respondents thought their picture on resume is a factor that has an impact on the screening result. Photographers targeting job applicants developed a package program costing over 100,000 won (84.93 dollars) including hairdo and makeup, stressing “Editing rather than taking a picture.” As edited pictures are hard to identify, I doubt about the meaning of edited pictures on one’s resume. As a former interviewer, pictures that are different from real one would rather decrease credibility.

The parliamentary Environment and Labor Committee passed a revised bill on Sunday on correcting the recruiting process, which bans adding pictures on application forms and demanding applicants’ physical size and their parents’ wealth. The Korea Employers Federation point out that it can be a stumbling block to a fair recruitment process because it makes it difficult to identify the person, but the concern seems to be excessive. As interviewers can see applicants, not adding a photo does not eliminate discrimination.



mskoh119@donga.com