Photos on Resumes

March 10, 2021

One thing I can not quite fantom about the Chinese job market is people putting their photos on resumes. What’s it for? I am not applying to be a model. Look shouldn’t matter, gender shouldn’t matter, age shouldn’t matter (unless you are specifically hiring for graduates), sexual orientation shouldn’t matter. Asking for these information is just the WRONG thing to do. What matters is abilities and experiences.

I am not going to comply. I don’t want to play their game and don’t give a shit about these norms and rules. This is not a mere preference but an agenda of justice. Even though I know putting a photo on resume might buy me some advantage, I choose not to. Don’t make me wrong, doing this doesn’t make me ethically superior than others, however it sounds like so. These norms are BS that everyone should resent and oppose to.

I know deeply being able to not give a shit is a privilege itself. For those who struggle to make a living, conformity is the only choice. But on the other hand, since we already have this kind of privilege, isn’t it up to us who have privilege to initiate changes and stand up against these nonsense norms? I hate to quote this but—“with great power comes great responsibility.”