You're doing well to get a job in today's world. I'm glad you're close and I'm sure you'll do well on the phone interview.

I know that being a 'big' person can go against you at an interview. The best thing you can do is dress conservatively, be immacualte in your grooming, have a smile on your face and know something about the firm you're interviewing with. It doesn't take much for the focus to shift from your physical appearance to your personality and knowledge. Afterall, they're not hiring you for your looks...they're hiring you for what you can do for them. Look your best, smile and know that you're worth a lot!

I didn't qualify for the job. they said I don't have enough sales experience but I qualify for customer service but they won't have any full time positions until January. I was totally bummed!

Sorry to hear about the job. Bad economy. I will say that I always worry about my weight when I go on an interview. I remember going on one of my first interviews for a job at a condo complex. they were looking for an attendant at the rec center. I came home and balled my eyes out because I knew there was no way they would hire me for a job taking care of the pool and exercise equipment. I was totally shocked when I did get the job.

I try to remember that every time I go on an interview. I know my appearance has been a factor at other job interviews but I try to remember that not everyone will dismiss me out of hand. My big problem now is that I can not dress as professionally as I should for my job. I'm a size 28/30 and it is hard to impossible to find quality suits. I can find cheap polyester suits but they look so cheap and fit poorly. So I end up looking shabby next to all the thin young things in my office.

Oh,I am sure I have been overlooked for positions because of my weight. I am lucky to have gotten the jobs I have had, considering my weight. I am currently looking, too, nad dreading that I could be overlooked again because of my size.

I walked into the LAST interview at a food processing company weighing 300 pounds, having made it thru two interviews with underlings, psychological testing and hand writing analysis, and a physical by their company doctor, the whole process... the last interview was with the plant manager who had the final word on who got hired. I walked in wearing a nice jacket & skirt outfit, very professional in appearance... and the plant manager took one look at me and burst out laughing, said I was too fat to do the job and that was it, end of interview.

I was so humiliated, but decided to follow thru with the follow up thank you letter that you are supposed to send after an interview. I thanked him for his time and asked to be considered for future positions. And I wrote something along the line of in the meanwhile, I will work on losing weight.

Within two weeks, I was hired. Thinking back, he may have feared a lawsuit as it was obvious discrimination to tell a job canidate to their face that they are too fat to work there while laughing himself silly... but anyway, he hired me. And later on, he came up to me on the job and apologized, said he had been watching me work and saw that I could do the job. (It involved physical labor, tearing machines apart, working up on catwalks, etc.)

When the discrimination is blatent, you can address the issue... but when it's done secretly, you have no recourse.

Mars, I would've started crying immediately after he said that to me and then probably would've stomped out of the office. Sorry that you had to go through that at all. I'm really nervous. Today I'm gonna go into 2 different perspective jobs and it's scaring me to death. I am really hesitating going and I think it's because of my insecurities. Unfortunately, I think that most people discriminate against my weight, but just don't say it. So that really sucks. I'll let you all know how everything goes today.