Clare Crawley's Real Life Job Will Help Her as the Next 'Bachelorette'

After much criticism about the contestants on Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor, the franchise has picked and announced its choice for The Bachelorette: Clare Crawley. Viewers first met the blonde beauty on Juan Pablo Galavis's stint as the lead in 2013. Known for her rendezvous with the Bachelor in the ocean in between dates, Clare came in second place on Juan Pablo's controversial season. 

Many wanted her to be the Bachelorette following her split from Juan Pablo because he had told her she was going to be his pick ahead of the finale. Instead, Andi Dorfman got the role, and Clare went on to appear on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise and Winter Games. During Winter Games, she got engaged to French Canadian Benoit Beauséjour-Savard, but their relationship didn't last long beyond the show. 

With the somewhat unexpected announcement that Clare will finally get her shot in the driver's seat on The Bachelorette nearly seven years after she first stepped foot in the mansion, many are in need of a refresher on just who Clare Crawley is. 

What is Clare Crawley's job? Find out what the reality star does for a living when she's not trying to find love on TV, and how she was announced to be the lead.

Before taking on the job of choosing between 25 to 30 men and handing out roses, Clare had a more conventional position. When she's not attempting to find everlasting love on TV, the 38-year-old works as a hairdresser. Most recently, Clare has been an employee at De Facto Salon in Sacramento. 

In May of 2019, Clare opened up about her love of styling hair, and she detailed the surprising reason why she chose it as a profession. 

"Would you be shocked if I told you I became a hairstylist over a decade ago, not because of hair?! I did it because I love connecting with people and being able to make a difference in their day, even if just for the few hours they sat in my chair!" she wrote in the caption. 

"I kid you not, I specifically remember one of my beauty school teachers telling me I’d never be successful because I care too much what the client thinks. (Who says that by the way!?)" Clare continued. "Well, here we are years later, and I’m still obsessed with my job and surrounded by some of the most amazing clients and friends ever!"

Unlike many contestants on the more recent seasons of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette who were "influencers," Clare's regular employment is a breath of fresh air for fans. 

Clare will certainly be taking a leave of absence from her job in order to film for the show. Hopefully she'll be able to "connect" with one of the guys too. 

While many are simply excited that the lead for Season 16 of The Bachelorette isn't one of the women from Peter Weber's season, Clare's role as the lead will also be a historic one. She will be the oldest female lead to ever appear on the show, as she will be 39 when her season begins filming (her birthday is on March 20).

Before Clare was announced, Season 13's Rachel Lindsay was the oldest Bachelorette at the age of 32.  

But, there have been several Bachelors who were also in their late thirties when filming for their seasons commenced. Nick Viall was 36 when he took on the leading role in 2017's Season 21.

More recently, racecar driver Arie Luyendyk was 38 years old when his 2018 season aired. 

With the reveal that the Bachelorette is of a more mature age, we can only hope that it means that there will be nothing like Champagnegate or Victoria F.'s hometown on Clare's season.

The Bachelorette premieres in May of 2020 on ABC.