An intern applicant says a marketing company posted her bikini photo on Instagram in an attempt to shame her

  • Emily Clow, 24, told The Daily Dot on Tuesday that after she applied for a position at a marketing company called Kickass Masterminds, it posted an Instagram Story about a bikini photo she had posted on Instagram.
  • The screenshot she shared showed that the Instagram Story said: “PSA (because I know some of you applicants are looking at this): do not share your social media with a potential employer if this is the kind of content on it.”
  • Clow called out the move on Twitter, saying she was “baffled” by the company’s decision.
  • The company’s founder, Sara Christensen, told Metro that Clow’s bikini photo did not disqualify her.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

A marketing company in Austin, Texas, posted an intern applicant’s bikini photo on Instagram in an apparent attempt to shame her.

Emily Clow, 24, told The Daily Dot on Tuesday that the marketing company, Kickass Masterminds, posted an Instagram Story about a photo of her standing in a pool in a red bikini.

The screenshot she shared showed that the company’s Instagram Story said: “PSA (because I know some of you applicants are looking at this): do not share your social media with a potential employer if this is the kind of content on it. I am looking for a professional marketer — not a bikini model. Go on with your bad self and do whatever in private. But this is not doing you any favors in finding a professional job.”

Clow called out the move on Twitter, saying she was “baffled” by the company’s decision.

—Emily Clow (@emilyeclow) October 1, 2019

gotta cool off somehow

A post shared by emily clow (@clowd_nine) on Jun 18, 2019 at 5:03pm PDT

Her post was reshared by the popular Twitter account @SheRatesDogs.

Clow told The Daily Dot that she was initially interested in Kickass Masterminds because “it was founded by women” and “seemed to support women in business.”

She said she saw the Instagram Story after applying for a marketing-coordinating position.

“I know many women my age have gone through the job application process as I have,” she told The Daily Dot in an email. “No one would have expected a potential employer to use their application as an example without their permission, let alone use a bikini picture from social media to deem someone as unprofessional.”

People are voicing their disapproval with the company on social media

People on social media have been quick to criticize the company for posting Clow’s image without her permission.

—Amelia Gapin (@EntirelyAmelia) October 2, 2019

—Dilly dilly (@dyl_meister09) October 2, 2019

—Michaela (@MichaelaBulkley) October 2, 2019

—Erika K Nardini (@EKANardini) October 1, 2019

The company’s founder said Clow wasn’t disqualified because of the post

Kickass Masterminds has since gone quiet online, shutting down its website and accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Its Instagram has been made private.

Read more: A fitness influencer Photoshopped herself to meet the beauty standards of Instagram’s most-followed women to prove social media isn’t real life

The company’s founder, Sara Christensen, told Metro that Clow’s bikini photo did not disqualify her.

“The woman in question was not disqualified because of her social media profile,” she said. “In fact, she was not disqualified at all. There was no communication to her saying she was disqualified.”

Christensen also said she took the photo down at Clow’s request.

Clow said she reached out to Kickass Masterminds after seeing the photo and was told, “Best of luck.”

“It seemed they didn’t believe there would be repercussions for their action,” she told The Daily Dot.

Christensen and Clow did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

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