Company Under Fire After Shaming Job Applicant’s Bikini Pic On Instagram
Shaming girls for posting bikini pics should no longer be a thing, as marketing company Kickass Masterminds is learning the hard way.
The Texas marketing consulting company posted a bikini photo from internship applicant Emily Clow's personal profile, suggested that she wouldn't get hired based on the picture alone, and advised future applicants to avoid having similar images on their social media profiles. Clow shared her experience with the company in a tweet on Oct. 1 that has since gained over four thousand likes and 540 retweets.
Not A Mastermind Move To Put This On Your Social Media
Clow took a screenshot of the Kickass Masterminds Instagram story when she first saw it at 11:25 a.m. Oct. 1. On Twitter, Emily explained that she had recently applied to an internship at the company.
Not only had they not asked for her permission to use her photo, but the company also captioned the post, "I am looking for a professional marketer - not a bikini model...this is not doing you any favors in finding a professional job."
When Clow Reached Out To The Company, She Was Shut Down
In an interview, Clow explained that she had initially reached out to Kickass Masterminds to express her discomfort right after she saw that they had posted her photo. She sent them an email and two direct messages on Instagram asking for her photo to be taken down.
They simply responded, "Best of luck," to her requests and proceeded to block her on Instagram. Frustrated by the situation, Clow moved to Twitter.
The Tweet That Started It All
Clow tweeted about the incident just over an hour after she took the screenshot. She expressed her confusion and surprise regarding the use of her bikini photo on the company's social media without her without her consent and the way the company objectified her.
Even though she didn't directly name Kickass Masterminds, many got the organization's name from the screenshots.
Clow's Tweet Gained Online Attention
Soon after, @SheRatesDogs, a Twitter page that posts screenshots of inappropriate/rude things men say to young women, tweeted about Clow's story alongside the screenshot from Kickass Masterminds Instagram.
SheRatesDogs, which has over 360,000 followers, pushed Clow's story to become a trending topic on Twitter.
Other Young Women Were Fast To Back Her Up
Twitter users (mostly women) were quick to come to Clow's support, pointing out how inappropriate it was for Kickass Masterminds to post an applicants photograph on their public profile.
Other women pointed out the lack of connection between appearance and professional skills, how it was her personal profile they took the photo from, and the contradictions between the company's values and their objectification of applicants.
Hypocrisy? No, Thanks
One young woman quickly noticed that Kickass Masterminds is almost entirely comprised of female employees, making the sexism Clow experienced even more shocking.
One Twitter user shared a screenshot of the Kickass's employees in swimwear from the company's public Instagram, while another user shared CEO Sara Christensen's post where her bra is exposed in order to highlight the organization's hypocrisy.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Women Witnessing Employment Discrimination
Many women who saw Clow's story on Twitter started commenting about the company's employment discrimination on their social media platforms and submitting messages to the company website. One woman posted a screenshot of her submitting a complaint to the Better Business Bureau of Texas.
By late afternoon, Kickass Masterminds had made all of their social media accounts private and had taken down their company website due to the backlash.
CEO Sara Christensen Released A Statement
On Oct. 7, nearly a full week after the initial incident, the Kickass Masterminds CEO Sara Christensen posted a full statement on Medium, a blogging platform. In the statement, she apologizes to Clow for her behavior and as well as her business clients who may have been impacted.
She claims that she has learned her lesson, but is not ready for a full public address at this time.
The Future Looks Bright For Emily Clow
Ever since her initial tweet and following the wave of attention her story has received, many marketing professionals have messaged Clow expressing a desire to have her intern at their organizations or have offered to help her find a marketing internship in Austin.
Clow Hopes Her Experience Helps Other Young Professional Women
Clow posted on social media to shed light on the employment discrimination that many of women experience while job hunting.
Clow said, "I figured that, 'Hey, I might as well talk about this,' because if I talk about it I know someone else is going through this and we can start a conversation and see if there's a way to fix the issue." Well, she did more than just start a conversation, and we are absolutely here for it.
Sorry, You're Just Not Bubbly Enough
Any woman who has ever been told to "smile more" or that they have "resting ***** face" knows what this feels like. And you know these interviewers wouldn't have been asking a guy to be more "giggly" just to get a job. It looks like these people wanted someone serious about the job but not serious enough.
These Interviewers Literally Tossed A Coin To Choose
Yep, you read that right. Basically, Reddit user Twerps didn't get the job because the interviewers thought it was all fun and games and just flipped a coin. Sorry, but someone's livelihood and career shouldn't be a game of chance.
The Ultimate Irony
Ah yes, the old "no experience necessary" but you need experience to get the job. How is a 20-year-old supposed to have 15 years of related experience in a management role when not too long ago they were playing in the school yard?
They WROTE The Manual And Still Didn't Get The Job
The least these interviewers could have done is match the manual's author name to the interview candidate. One simple Google search could have avoided rejecting the most qualified candidate for the position.
Karma Is Cruel
We seriously hope Reddit user the_dayman didn't accept the job if they called them back, because that would just be a slap to the face. This unknown company lost out because of the exact fear. Sorry, but they had it coming.
Well, That Might Be A Problem
We're not sure why a web developer needs to be able to drive. If they're good at the job and the work is all online, why do you need a license? This company was probably just looking for someone willing to do the morning coffee run.
Zoolander Never Would Have Got The Job
Both women and men are denied jobs because of their looks. Sometimes because they're not "good looking" enough to the employer's standards, and apparently, also because they're too good looking. The moral of the story is that looks shouldn't matter.
You Dodged A Bullet
Honestly, Reddit user Rhoe dodged a bullet with this interview. Even if they had been hired, by the sounds of it the managers would have been too fragile to let them succeed. Hopefully, their talents were appreciated elsewhere.
"No GPA Requirements, We Promise"
There have been a ton of studies proving that GPA doesn't actually show how much a student has learned. Instead, it just shows which people are better at memorization. And don't even get us started about grade inflation. Either way, GPA shouldn't have been a reason to axe a candidate.
I'd Actually Be Happy With Any Job, Thanks
There's nothing worse than an employers assuming you won't be happy in a job because you're "too qualified." If anything, those people should be at the top of the list to hire. They will be hungry for opportunity and always looking for new challenges. Their loss!
This Is Jeffrey Discrimination
I, like anyone who has ever applied for a job, have seen my fair share of rejection emails, but I've never seen one cite a reason this particular and bizarre.
I'd Rather Work At Chik-Fil-A
I want there to be a law that makes it illegal for employers to demand high-level degrees without good pay. This literally should be a crime. I could make more money as a babysitter.
Make It Make Sense!
I swear, some recruiters have no idea what they're saying when they actually write the job postings. I feel like they just make up random numbers when asking about experience.
It Actually Can Be Expressed In Money
Employers be like: we love that you're taking on extra responsibilities, working overtime, overperforming in your role, and giving us so much extra profit. Then, when you ask for a raise, they say "no <3".
...The Guy's Name Is Matt
Recruiters will say that attention to detail is a key skill needed by applicants and will disregard a resume/cover letter with a single grammatical error...and then have the audacity to make mistakes like this.
Sorry, I Didn't Start Working While In The Womb
Job postings will literally say things like, "Entry Level Position. You need at least five years of experience in the field as well as all these competencies that are normally gained through work. Starting salary is $12/hour."
This HR Team Has No Soul
I wonder what part of hell you need to crawl out from to hear that someone selflessly spent a summer caring for a sick loved one and immediately tell them that they should've focused on their career.
I Bet Most Of Them Couldn't
I fully understand that an HR team is essential to most workplaces, but shouldn't someone who actually understands the job lingo be involved with the vetting process? Or at least someone who knows a bit about Pokémon?
This Is The Most Painful Experience
The worst is when the company's website is poorly developed, so you can't type your actual credentials and experience into the boxes properly, leaving you with a half-botched submission. Just take the PDF resume.
This Is The New Tactic
The reality is that applying for jobs is practically a job in itself, and it's often an exhausting and unfair process. Hold tight if you're in that position right now: you'll get through it.
