Is Acne going to cost me the return offer???
So basically, I am doing SA this summer and dealing with pretty visible acne right now. Assume work quality, attitude, responsiveness, and overall behavior of everyone in the team are the same, top quality. The only thing I'm worried about is the acne damaging my appearance/polish.
My question: in a client-service environment like IB, do you think noticeable acne can actually hurt return offer chances even a little, or is this basically irrelevant compared with execution, likability, and overall team fit 4 me?
Not asking for reassurance, just genuinely honest answers from people in the industry who have seen how these decisions actually get made. You can be brutal, no need to sugarcoat. Thanks!
For your own confidence, a solid cleanser and benzoyl peroxide go a long way. Talk to a derm about Accutane if it’s persistent.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t fucking matter and won’t be the deciding factor for a return
Clients won’t start seeing your face until you make it to Sr VP, so no one will care about your appearance.
As an associate I see clients all the time. Think it’s really group dependent.
man just fucking clear it up. There are drugs that help you out with this. Accutane, Tretonin, Lymecycline etc
No one will say it will harm you, but you don't have the counterfactual of having clear skin. we definitely subconsciously treat people differently based on appearance.
How bad is it. If it’s really bad, and as terrible as it sounds, it will subconsciously bother other colleagues
It won't make an impact, but worth addressing it anyway. I've had non-severe but persistent acne my whole teenage / adult life and doing a second accutane course in my mid-30s. It's a self esteem killer and mostly for something that's not at all your fault or in your control. Talk to a derm - there are good topicals these days and if you need accutane, it's totally manageable (most people just get dry lips and skin, the internet will skew towards catastrophizers and people with adverse side effects which are rare).
Just want to recognise that this is a very valid thing to feel insecure / worried about. You are not alone. Severe acne definitely holds people back in all professions - often more than other 'controllable' physical traits. There are support-groups and rallies for everything except acne. You'll see plus-sized models and barbies, but never any with acne.
That being said - I was in a similar position (had a horrible breakout during my internship, would stand in the office bathroom multiple times a day staring at my face and wishing the nightmare would stop). But I got the return offer anyway. Acne mostly happens to teens/young adults so ig it makes the seniors almost feel like "ah this kid is struggling with acne - been there myself / my own teen has it. Hard worker tho. Let's get him back and the IB money/lifestyle will make him glow up soon enough". It's true. The scenario where acne would make it worse though is if you were also not well-groomed, not well-dressed. Then the acne is the final nail in the coffin and make them feel like you don't have a professional presence. For someone who is well-spoken, sharp, fit, and amazing at their job - acne would just get sympathy.
Right after that summer I finally figured out the routine that worked wonders for me (without getting on accutane). There's plenty of well-researched solutions you can find online that genuinely work - just avoid social media influencers. Unless you have severe, cystic acne - simple routines should do the job. I made the mistake of trying everything and constantly having too many serums and heavy moisturizers on my skin. The real breakthrough happened when one night I got frustrated and didn't apply anything on my face after washing it - not even a moisturizer. I woke up with very dry skin (of course), but also finally free from new acne and the oily feeling (this isn't ideal for your skin barrier but it works as a nuke). The next day I just started washing my face gently and using a water-based moisturizer, with benzoyl peroxide every few days at night. Voila - had the clearest skin of my life in a few months.
TL;DR even though you didn't ask for skincare advice - Keep it simple and don't use too many things. Simple foaming facewash (with or without SA) + water-based moisturizer twice a day. Benzoyl peroxide at night (before moisturizer) until the breakout calms down. Once the acne calms down - use salicylic acid 1-2 times a week overnight.
Overall - it matters but not enough to effect the offer outcome. Work your ass off and you'll be fine.
One other issue to consider. Unfortunately, your acne is likely to get worse during IB. The stress, lack of sleep, and unhealthy diet all will exacerbate things.
There's great information in this thread on how to treat it. My advice is to treat/address this as soon as possible (i.e don't get lazy and let it linger).
Hop on tretinoin big dawg super easy script just visit a dermatologist
I had horrendous acne before (as in, people commenting on it and staring at my photos / self in the mirror cringing at how bad it was and worrying about people seeing my face in bright lights) hopping on Accutane, and this was during my SA internship as well, and I still got the return
Acne? Just finish puberty already
I think you should look into starting Accutane. I had a very positive experience with it on a 5-6 month cycle and if you started now you could drink right when school starts again
Go see a dermatologist bro. I've tried nearly every solution without much success, and will finally be hopping on Accutane over the summer. Praying that it will clear up by the time fall and the recruiting season come around.
Accutane saved my life, had some of the worst acne in my school but now my skin is almost as clear as my friends. I'm only 5 months in and have 3 left but I'm so incredibly greatful for a second chance.
Just hop on accutane. If your situation is like mine, looking back, all that other stuff isn’t worth the time or money spent trying to figure it out. Accutane takes 5-6 months and will nuke it at the root. I had really bad cystic acne in college and I wish I had done it wayyy sooner. 4 years later and still acne-free (knock on wood).
I'm an incoming college freshman who struggled with extremely bad acne. Think in a school of over 3000 students, my acne was worse than probably all but 10 students. I hopped on accutane and trust me its a life saver. Yes there are some side effects like minor back pain and dry lips / face but it has been worth it - I am on track to getting glass skin for the first time in over 6 years, and for someone who is only 17 years old, thats such a large portion of my life.
Feel free to DM me if you have any questions but I will always recommend accutane or any other powerful acne drug.
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