Short People Also Need Jobs: Physical Requirements Pose Hurdles for SMK Graduates

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Brown folders containing job applications have been repeatedly carried by SMK graduates to offices, stores, restaurants, and even factories. Not only in person, SMK graduates also continuously apply for jobs via online apps. Yet the results are often fruitless. For months or even years, SMK graduates face bitter disappointment, unable to secure employment. SMK graduates frequently fail to secure jobs not due to poor academic grades or lack of skills, but because their physical attributes are deemed inadequate. Amid scarce job opportunities, physical requirements present an irony for vocational education, which has long promised to produce job-ready graduates. Many young people feel their chances are lost before their skills are even assessed. This is the experience of Friska (18), an SMK graduate from South Jakarta, who repeatedly fails to secure jobs due to her short stature. ‘It really depends on ourselves. I feel there are always barriers to getting hired, like my height,’ Friska said when interviewed by Kompas.com at her home in South Jakarta on Monday, 25 May 2026. During a walk-in interview, Friska arrived at 5:00 AM to secure an early meeting with the Human Resources (HR) department. However, fierce competition for the barista position forced her to queue until the afternoon. Unfortunately, Friska’s efforts to secure the barista role were thwarted solely due to her height. ‘During the interview, when asked my height, I said 148cm. The ideal height is supposed to be over 150cm. I didn’t pass immediately, even though I had reached the second interview stage,’ she added. Friska was forced to leave her previous job due to a meagre salary of around Rp 1.5 million per month. Her earnings often failed to cover commuting costs and daily food expenses, prompting her to quit. Yet finding new employment has proven extremely difficult for her, solely because of her petite frame. ‘It’s unfair—short people also need jobs,’ she said. Friska added that individuals cannot choose their physical appearance, making it unjust to have physical requirements as a mandatory job criterion.