Every year we hear that the cost of college and college debt are spiraling out of control. It is becoming increasingly difficult for middle class families like those in Inland Empire, California where I live and practice to afford to educate their children. Parents want to help their kids to enjoy financial success. And students who want to go to college are rightly concerned about looking for work after graduation while carrying a large load of college debt. Good planning, as outlined here, can help save college costs. Interestingly, high quality cosmetic surgery, at least at Inland Empire rates, can actually help graduates of value-priced colleges achieve success similar to that seen by elite university grads.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Brian Machida is a highly experienced, expert, board certified facial plastic surgeon. He taught for years at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Machida is the Medical Director at STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario, CA in California’s Inland Empire north of Los Angeles.
Good planning can improve job prospects after graduation
Often, well-meaning guidance counselors will encourage students to choose a college or university they would enjoy attending and major in a subject that they love -the more selective the school, the better. This sounds like great advice. After all, graduates of elite universities often command higher salaries. But the excellent education they offer comes at a very high price.
It is often wiser to investigate which industries are expanding and hiring. See what kinds of jobs are likely to be available when you graduate. Often you can find work you’d enjoy pursuing and a job you’re more likely to get. Choosing a major that will help you qualify for a job that will be open when you graduate, in a field you could learn to love, is more practical than the standard advice: “pursue your passion.”
High Value colleges cut college cost and college debt
Students who graduate with honors from elite colleges often achieve financial success. But there are other institutions – high value colleges – whose grads earn high salaries with much lower college costs. Graduates earn strong mid-career salaries. But, compared to elite universities, look how much lower their annual tuition costs are:
This list clearly illustrates an important fact: those who graduate from elite universities like Stanford, Harvard and Williams can do very well financially. But those who graduate from value colleges do quite well, too. The reduced college cost offered by these institutions often means that grads enter the work world carrying a much lighter load of college debt. And if you won’t or didn’t graduate from an expensive elite college, there are things can do to improve your chances for success.
A good-looking face can increase your income 
As brought out in “Assuring Success if You or Your Child Didn’t Get Into Your 1st College Choice,” many research studies demonstrate that people with better-looking faces are more likely to get hired, get a higher starting income, get better salary reviews and get promoted to management positions. Cornell University publication Cornell HR Review reported:
Another study found that “an American worker who was among the bottom one-seventh in looks…earned 10 to 15 percent less per year than a similar worker whose looks were assessed in the top one-third – a lifetime difference, in a typical case, of about $230,000.”
In short, attractive individuals will receive more job offers, better advancement opportunities, and higher salaries than their less attractive peers – despite numerous findings that they are no more intelligent or capable.
Cosmetic surgery and nonsurgical procedures can be great investments
Young people over the age of 18 can clearly help their prospects for success by making sure that their faces as well as their résumés will make them attractive job candidates. Cosmetic surgery procedures are not unduly expensive and, like education, should be viewed as an investment in your future.
Studies by Nobel prizewinner Dr. Daniel Kahneman and Stanford University’s Dr. Amos Tversky found that people often use shortcuts when making decisions. Busy hiring managers, faced with a large number of qualified candidates will often use quick cues to help them identify “the best candidates.” As a job candidate in this situation, a good-looking face can help you in two important ways:
- It makes a great first impression –The New York Times and “Influence: People First Judge Your Competence by Your Face” highlighted a Boston University research study. In it, a large panel of judges who saw people just long enough to form first impressions judged those with attractive faces to be much more competent than their less-attractive peers..
- It increases self-confidence and self-esteem – numerous studies find that people who have cosmetic procedures to make them look their best feel better about themselves. Quiet confidence automatically helps others to believe in you.
Facial plastic surgeons or plastic surgeons well-experienced in cosmetic facial procedures can really help with:
- Reshaping your nose with Rhinoplasty. Please note: a high quality “nose job” that costs $12,000 or more in Beverly Hills can cost much less in other locations. For instance, at my Inland Empire practice, STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario, we charge as little as $6,000 for top-notch rhinoplasty.
“Pinning” your Ears – people tend to quickly notice ears that stick out or are misshapen. Otoplasty – ear surgery – can make it so that people focus on your best traits rather than your ears.
- Strengthening a “Weak” Chin with a Chin Implant
- Evening out asymmetrical features using injectable fillers.
- Smoothing acne scars using Bellafill to lastingly fill them. If needed, laser resurfacing can further smooth your skin..
- Improving your complexion using microneedling to enhance skin tone and texture
Upgrade your appearance and your education to maximize your chances for success
Clearly, your education and appearance go hand-in-hand in shaping your future success. So, while dedicating resources for your education is important, investing in your appearance can make a real difference in getting the job and income you want.
If you’re planning your education now, why not do a little more homework to find a college and a major that will give you a good return on your sizeable investment. And while you’re assessing your educational needs, why not take a good look at your face and body to see what improvements could make you more attractive to employers once you graduate. Many qualified facial plastic surgeons are less busy in the summertime. Why not find a board certified expert in your area? Most offer free consultations. In Inland Empire California you can find me at STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario.
If you’re already in college, why not include a free consultation as part of your summertime plans? Determine exactly the kind of ways you’d like to improve your looks. Find out which procedures can help you the most, and once you know how much they cost, set up a timetable and a budget. Vacation periods are great times to have cosmetic procedures, because the needed downtime can be completed before your next semester begins.
You would never plan a vacation without enough money to pay for your hotel and meals. You clearly need both. In the same way, when planning for your future, invest in both your education and your appearance. You’ll be happier and more successful if you do.
