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Woman Gets Dragged Into Important Meetings By VP, Shocked To Learn It’s Because Of Her Pretty Face
Imagine studying and working really hard to land a good job at a solid company, only to end up doing work that doesn’t even use your actual skill set… Or worse – it does use your skills, just not the ones you spent years building. Instead, you’re basically being used as “bait” because of your vibes and appearance.
That’s exactly what happened to today’s OP. She was hired as a software developer and soon began being invited to executive meetings. But here’s the catch: they didn’t want her there for her talent. And that left her beyond frustrated.
More info: Reddit
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In some jobs, you occasionally end up doing things that don’t really align with what you were actually hired to do
Image credits: uflypro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Like this woman, who worked as a software developer, but also had a whole “side gig” within her job
Image credits: yakobchuk / Freepik (not the actual photo)
She used to get invited to the meetings of executives, which technically sounds promising
Image credits: chamithamalkagraphics / Freepik (not the actual photo)
But in them, she wasn’t really allowed to talk that much and was basically asked to be there for her pretty face
Image credits: charlies-ghost
Just imagine how frustrating that must have been for her – she had more potential than just her feminine energy
Back in the day, the OP worked as a software developer for a company that supported realtors and real estate companies. Around a year into the job, she received an invitation to a meeting from one of the executives.
During it, she was told what exactly to say and when to say it, and was praised afterward for doing such a great job. From that point on, she started getting more invites like this. So, about once a month, she had to sit in on the executive meetings and barely do anything. She was told she was there just to “be aware of the business.”
Even when a client would ask her something, the vice president would jump in to answer on her behalf. So, it was clear that her sole purpose was just to be a pretty face and nothing else. As she said, it was probable that the execs thought that her femininity “would disarm and pacify business partners into a more agreeable business deal.”
The woman explained that she was never forced to do anything inappropriate or anything like that, but when you really think about her “purpose” in said meetings, they are basically the definition of objectification.
The aim of this kind of objectification wasn’t anything improper, per se, but it was still kind of problematic. After all, it was the woman being used for her body, and her feminine presentation to achieve their aim in the meetings, instead of her actual skills. It’s rather unlikely that a man would have been put into a similar situation, as such objectification rarely happens (we wouldn’t say that it never does) to them.
Image credits: atemangostar / Freepik (not the actual photo)
While it might not seem like a big deal – it wasn’t straight-up harassment or anything like that. In the long run, such practice can have negative consequences. Essentially, such instances of casual sexism can have an influence on a woman’s self-worth, as it has been linked to things like eating, body image disorders, and a lack of confidence.
At the same time, a person has to do a job that doesn’t require them to use their actual skills, but to be “for the energy.” Actually, in some places, there is the so-called “vibe hire.” Ultimately, these are people who are hired for their soft skills, such as likability or, in other words, “good vibes,” hence the name.
Of course, they can’t be totally unqualified for a job with the rest of their skillset, but the energy one has is of great importance. When you put this in the context of today’s story, the OP was placed in a relatively similar situation, whether she liked it or not. And it seems that she didn’t really like it.
However, one of the netizens suggested another point of view for this situation – what if the executive saw potential in the poster and thought that, over time, she could become one of them? Even if she never considered that herself, it’s still a better way to look at things, isn’t it? What do you think?
At the same time, some netizens said that maybe she was invited there because her boss saw her potential and wanted her to be an executive one day, which sounds a whole lot better
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What do you think ?
Apatheist Account2 1 week ago (edited)
Sometimes one gets called in as a technical expert by bosses who don't know the detail (even if they perhaps do know how to spell "totem pole"), just in case a technical question arises. Over 40 years I've never been in a meeting where someone just appeared to be decoration; that said, I have been aware that sometimes presentation teams comprised an older man with a younger woman for maximum appeal. Not that they weren't competent, but for sales it can help to have a demographic mix, much like breakfast TV news teams.
Binky Melnik 1 week ago
I was at the giant fruit company when the man who made sugared water was CEO, and that man had sooo little technology knowledge that he had his assistant call 911. I did a few presentations with him; other people wrote what he’d say and then he was coached to say certain technical things (like the name of a RAM stick, stuff like that). He didn’t need to know tech stuff, though; he needed to know how to be a CEO. The rest of us needed to know the tech.
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DC 1 week ago
About this, the dishonesty infuriates most. He could have said to her something along the lines of "Look, we're dealing with outdated ideas here, in the minds of the higherups of customers, who we have to negotiate and deal with on a regular basis. Your attractive exterior and softspoken voice, likely, will tame them a bit. We'll compasate you most generously!" - and the compensate her most generously. I wouldn't see much of an issue in the company then, but in the partners, of course. But, you can't always chose these, and gotta make money so the company stays afloat. But, at the very very least - be honest behind closed doors.
Apatheist Account2 1 week ago (edited)
Sometimes one gets called in as a technical expert by bosses who don't know the detail (even if they perhaps do know how to spell "totem pole"), just in case a technical question arises. Over 40 years I've never been in a meeting where someone just appeared to be decoration; that said, I have been aware that sometimes presentation teams comprised an older man with a younger woman for maximum appeal. Not that they weren't competent, but for sales it can help to have a demographic mix, much like breakfast TV news teams.
Binky Melnik 1 week ago
I was at the giant fruit company when the man who made sugared water was CEO, and that man had sooo little technology knowledge that he had his assistant call 911. I did a few presentations with him; other people wrote what he’d say and then he was coached to say certain technical things (like the name of a RAM stick, stuff like that). He didn’t need to know tech stuff, though; he needed to know how to be a CEO. The rest of us needed to know the tech.
Load More Replies... DC 1 week ago
About this, the dishonesty infuriates most. He could have said to her something along the lines of "Look, we're dealing with outdated ideas here, in the minds of the higherups of customers, who we have to negotiate and deal with on a regular basis. Your attractive exterior and softspoken voice, likely, will tame them a bit. We'll compasate you most generously!" - and the compensate her most generously. I wouldn't see much of an issue in the company then, but in the partners, of course. But, you can't always chose these, and gotta make money so the company stays afloat. But, at the very very least - be honest behind closed doors.
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