Episode 112: Your Weight, Your Worth

“One of the stereotypes is that if you’re overweight you’re lazy, or you’re not smart, or you’re slow. And I have learned to actively prove people wrong. ”

— Christine

Photo by Marie33/iStock / Getty Images

Theresa Thames

Finding a weight-loss DVD in your mailbox, wondering why you didn't get that promotion, or just being told you need to lose weight 'for your health' - these are some of the things today's guests have experienced in the workplace. Amy, Christine and Theresa are or have been overweight, and each has felt judged for it while on the job. They are not alone. In this show, we look at how much being overweight affects a woman's career.  

Further reading: The Stigma of Obesity (University of Connecticut Study)

Obesity Affects Job Prospects for Women (University of Manchester Study)

The Hidden Discrimination Against Being Fat at Work (Fast Company)

You can also read a transcript of the show.

Episode 111: Hiring Hell

“They are looking for more and more out of each individual person that they hire. And this is their way to manage the risk.”

— Allison Hemming

Photo: Zipline Obstacle Course 2 by My Photo Journeys, used with Creative Commons License.

Looking for a job has always been stressful, but the process resembles an obstacle course now more than ever. The time it takes for candidates to get hired has gone up in recent years, according to this study by Glassdoor. A major reason is the many levels of screening job hunters have to go through. But at what point does the interview process become unprofessional, or even inhumane? 

In this show we meet two recent job seekers, Rachel Schallom and Kristen Shattuck, who bring us stories from the trenches, and one recruiter, Allison Hemming of The Hired Guns, who offers some perspective from the company's side of things. 

Further reading: Here's Rachel's piece on how the journalism industry can improve its hiring practices.

You can also read a transcript of the show.