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Many seek edge in job market by updating looks

By Davis Bushnell, Globe Correspondent, 3/21/04

A growing number of professionals are visiting image consultants and even plastic surgeons in a quest to get an edge on younger competitors for jobs and promotions in a still-tough economy.
"I believe that a professional image should be updated as frequently as a rsum," said executive assistant Marilyn V. Santiesteban. Santiesteban, who will admit only to being in her 40s, had a recent makeover with an image consultant. She said she wanted her appearance to be in step with her colleagues at the Internet services firm where she works in Waltham.

"I'm now on my way to having a smart appearance, which is also young and hip," she said.

Whether they're seeking jobs or are already employed, there's a new recognition that a sharp professional appearance can help an individual stand out with employers and hiring mangers in today's tight employment environment, said human resources specialists, job counselors, and image consultants.

"Appearance is reemerging as an important issue," said Tom Flannery, principal in the Boston office of Mellon Financial Corp.'s human resources consulting unit and a board member of the Northeast Human Resources Association in Wellesley. "People are more cognizant of appearance and the good message that it communicates."

This new perception stands in sharp contrast to the attitude about appearance that helped define the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, when the talent wars led some workers and job hunters to show up for work or interviews looking any way they wanted.

Business professionals want "to take care of their appearance so that they can distinguish themselves from others," said Nancy Hayes Bevington, vice president of client services in the Boston office of Right Management Consultants, a national outplacement and HR consulting firm.

More clients are now asking for advice on appearance and sometimes are given the names of consultants who can help with things like wardrobe and hairstyle changes, Bevington said.

Professionals seeking to energize their work look has meant more business for image consultants like Ginger Burr, who estimated that business revenue last year is up 20 percent over 2000. Burr, who charges an hourly fee of between $125 and $150, works out of a studio in her Somerville home. She said three-quarters of her clients are working for a company, self-employed, or looking for employment.

"Many business people want clarification and guidance in choosing the right look," Burr said

Burr helped Santiesteban finetune her look this month at a session at her firm, Total Image Consultants. Santiesteban works for Mark C. Stoever, executive vice president of US operations for Terra Lycos Inc., a provider of Internet portal services. Stoever "dresses professionally and I mirror his style. I think it sends a message that I'm serious about what I do" at a time when job performance is crucial, Santiesteban said.

Stoever, 37, noted the casual look is receding in business. "I've seen a return to a more business-like dress code in our industry as well as across-the-board," he said. "So, it makes sense to me that someone makes his or her best effort to present a professional appearance."

Others are stepping up their appearance through cosmetic surgery. Last year, for example, more than 8.7 million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed nationally, a 32 percent increase over 2002, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Women represented 82 percent of those who had cosmetic surgery in 2003, according to the society. Topping the list of procedures performed were nose jobs, liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid lifts, and face lifts.

Dr. Donald Clukies, president of the Massachusetts Society of Plastic Surgeons, said many of his patients are in their 50s and "looking enviously at coworkers coming up through the ranks in their 30s and 40s."

Business executives wanting new, younger looks represent an increasing number of patients, said some plastic surgeons.

"People are feeling increasingly comfortable with plastic surgery," said Dr. Joel Feldman, who is affiliated with Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. They come in for procedures, he said, "because they believe theyll be received better at work and feel better about themselves at the same time."

Feldman said he's dealing with an increasing number of men these days, even though most of his patients are women. "Men especially want to get rid of puffy eyelids and sagging neck lines," while women frequently opt for face lifts, he said. His cosmetic surgery fees, which are not covered by health insurance, can amount to several thousand dollars per procedure, he said.

One of Feldman's patients, a residential real estate agent in Greater Boston, said her new look, resulting from eyelid surgery and a brow lift, brings verve to her personal and business life.

"I could never wear makeup before because my eyelids were so heavy. I looked asleep. Now, my whole face is open," said Mary, 48, who declined to give her last name. She said she paid more than $4,000 for the procedures.

Some patients look at cosmetic surgery "as a good investment for them," said Dr. Richard Ehrlichman, a plastic surgeon at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. His current caseload, he said, involves "lots of women who are going back to work after having kids." Popular procedures like eyelid and face lifts cost between $2,500 and $3,500 and $6,000 and $6,500, respectively, he said.

Human resource specialists say that as long as a candidate has the requisite skills, a well-groomed and natural look can help carry the day.

"People coming in for interviews now are looking much better than others did a few years ago," said Robin Lucier, human resources manager for B.L. Makepeace Inc., a small Brighton architectural services firm.

Lucier recently interviewed several men for a production supervisor's position at the firm's Hopkinton plant. The successful candidate was Mike Lazzaro, 35, of Worcester.

"I had a feeling that if I looked professional, I'd be perceived that way," Lazzaro said. "So, I made sure that I got a haircut before the interview and then came in dressed in a business suit and a nice pair of shoes."

A few years ago, when he was looking for work, "the dress code was much more lax a much different time from today," he said
http://bostonworks.boston.com/globe/articles/032104_looks.html

Men seeking cosmetic surgery to enhance career edge

By Robyn A. Friedman
Special Correspondent
Posted March 21 2004

Brian Altschuler started losing his hair when he was 28. Fearing that the hair loss made him appear 10 years older, Altschuler looked into toupees and weaves, but wasn't thrilled with the prospect of shaving his head for a glued-on, fake-looking hairpiece. So last December, Altschuler had a $9,000 hair transplant. Now he feels like he's regained his youthful edge.

"We live in a society where people judge you by your appearance," said Altschuler, now 33 and the manager of organizational development for Bethesda Healthcare Systems in Boynton Beach. Altschuler does work force training and development and often speaks to crowds of up to 400 people.

"I need people to feel comfortable and trust in me," he said. "People follow leaders who are not only confident in their personality, but confident in their appearance as well."

Like Altschuler, men in search of a competitive edge in business or the workplace are flocking to cosmetic surgeons to gain a more youthful appearance via plastic surgery, liposuction, Botox or chemical peels. Surgical procedures and recovery times have improved to the point where a man can leave work early on Friday, visit his cosmetic surgeon and arrive Monday morning sporting a new look. And television shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy reflect a society that is much more accepting of men who put effort into looking good.

"There used to be a stigma associated with plastic surgery and vanity in men," said Julio Gallo, a facial plastic surgeon in North Miami Beach. "I think men are realizing that it's not a taboo area any more, and it helps them in not only their social life, but their professional career as well."

Gallo said that about a quarter of his patients today are men, up from about 10 percent a decade ago. The most common procedures he performs on men are nose jobs, eyelid lifts and face lifts.

Gallo also does about 50 chin implants a year. In that procedure, a small wedge of solid silicone is inserted on top of the jaw bone through a 1-centimeter incision under the chin. "If a man has a weak chin, this distracts from an impression of authority," he said.

Another factor driving the trend: job insecurity. With the recent economic slump and downsizings, many men in their 40s and 50s have found themselves out of work. With younger men competing for what few jobs are available, older executives feel they need to gain an edge. Looking younger is considered an asset.

"If someone looks washed out, then I don't necessarily want to hire him," said Thomas H. Shea, chief executive officer for the Florida/Caribbean Region of Right Management Consultants in Fort Lauderdale. "To have an equal chance, someone has to look vibrant -- like they're up to a challenge. That's why plastic surgery is more culturally acceptable now."

Shea said that for job candidates, looking good is as important as keeping skills current. "If I'm a technology person, I have to stay current on software," he said. "But I also have to look fit, make sure I don't get overweight and stay in shape so I can remain competitive."

Ronald Friedman, a self-employed financial planner in Boca Raton, recently had a hair transplant. "I wanted to match up my face and my body," said Friedman, 49. "I'm a young-looking guy, and it was odd not to have hair on the front of my head. Now I feel much more in proportion."

According to the New York-based American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, men had nearly 1.1 million cosmetic procedures last year (13 percent of the total). Cosmetic procedures for men increased 31 percent from 2002. The top five surgical procedures for men were liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, breast reduction and hair transplantation.

Studies indicate that the perception of bias against older workers is widespread. According to a recent survey of executives conducted by Norwalk, Conn.-based ExecuNet, 82 percent of those surveyed said that age discrimination is a serious problem in today's employment market, up from 78 percent three years ago. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they have encountered age discrimination in a job search, up from 58 percent in 2001.

Alan J. Bauman, a Boca Raton surgeon who specializes in hair restoration, says some of his clients are looking older, "and they see these young guys right out of school nipping at their heels." Bauman does hair transplants at a cost of $4,000 to $10,000 per session; the average person needs two sessions, he said.

Bauman also said he's seeing an increase in the number of parents who pay for hair transplants for their college-age sons. "It's kind of a pre-employment spiffing up," he said. "The parents pay for the best schools and the best tailor, and they want their son to have the best opportunity when he goes on a job interview, so they pay for hair too."

Martin Casal, a Miami-based sales representative for Toshiba America Inc., recently had rhinoplasty, commonly known as a "nose job." "It was big and crooked and didn't really match my face," said Casal, 26. "I'm going into a field where I'm meeting people, and I felt that looking better would boost my confidence and self-esteem."

Casal paid $3,500 for the procedure. He now plans to go to a cosmetic dentist to get veneers to correct gaps between his teeth. He expects the increase in confidence to make him a better salesman.

Bauman sees that kind of thinking often. "People need a competitive edge," he said. And the edge of choice these days for more and more men comes on the underside of a scalpel.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-sbcosmetic21mar21,0,6900003.story?coll=sfla-business-front