Long hair and the workplace (looking for advice)

[atomic charvel guy]

move to California, you can any job you want.

[Flatpicker]

Or you could donate it to Locks of Love.
It's only hair. It'll grow back.

[wilkinsi]

i cut my hair because i thought that was the reason i wasn't getting any job offers. wrong. it was my face (disfigurement). employers can only stipulate that you have it tied back (or in a net tied up if it involves construction or something involving food handling and the like). otherwise, it's discrimination. women don't get told to cut their hair so wtf should we? employers never tell you the real reason you failed to get the job simply because prospective employees would have a fucking field day in court.

[StukaJU87]

The business field looks for results, not how long your hair is. Today I am wearing a wrinkley jean shirt, black jeans, running shoes, and yes my hair aint exactly trim. The thing is, the clients dress the same way. They relate to me better than the suit jockeys with their big bald spots. Clients want results, not a fashion show. Keep the hair, deliver the results, and the only problems you'll get are from the baldies who wish they could actually have hair. Of course if you work for a place where even the clients are tight asses, then cut the hair. This kind of reminds me of the rascist/sexist crap where people claim they cant get in the door. If you can produce, I dont give a fuck what color you are, or where you stick it, as long as the green is being produced, there is always a spot for you.............

if you like your hair long then don't cut it. jobs are out there - don't compromise. if you don't care about keeping your hair long and think it'll be easier to find a job then cut your hair.

i worked in the defense industry for a long time and interacted with corporals and colonels a like on a regular basis and never once had an issue. i've trained marines and if anyone is going to give you shit it's a marine but it was not a problem and i'm pretty sure that i had more hair on my head than everyone in the training facility combined

You guys are correct. But Snow isn't even established yet. He will soon be job hunting. If you think that prospective employers, maybe not ALL, but definitely some, are not going to take appearance into consideration for a new hire, I think you are mistaken.

That doesn't make it right. I agree. Just the way it is.

[dg]

Yep, the question was would it hinder his opportunities. Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Appearance counts a lot before you have a track record.

[Nazgul]

I say keep the hair!

[ApeDosMil]

Businesses want everything to be very general. The reason is because they don't want to be distracted when talking. They always want eye to eye for communication.

[Joe_Steeler]

Joe, I couldn't disagree with you more emphatically. I do have a high ranking position. I do deal with the public and high ranking politicians on a more than daily basis. I don't know what sad unprofessional hypocritical world you live in, but trust me, it is narrow minded and old fashoned. Join us in the 21st century.

Dude, I do not agree with people geting caught in the the way others look or dress. For me substance is far important.
However, there are people out there that you are forced to deal with that do not share your way of thinking unfortunately.

We have clients that in turn interact with our ultimately client, when you get a telephone call from my immediate client telling me that our ultimate client does not appreciate the way one of our employees projects himself I got to listen to that. I have a responsibility to my other employees and to my family to sustain a relationship with a good client that provides a constant 6 to 7 income figure to the company.
I cannot wave them off and go home playing Rage Against The Machine on the car stereo.

It does not happen with one client, it has happened consistently through the years with several clients. On prior companies I've worked for comments have been made as well.
Hell I used to despise people making fun of me when I wore my long hair back in the 80s. When I made a decision to join the workforce and determine the vein of work for me I had to leave some things behind, hair was not that difficult to abbandon. It is one of the things that makes work suck as much as it does but if I want to provide for my family and feed GAS I got to do it.

[nateb]

I'll be graduating in May with a degree in marketing/business administration and looking to enter the workforce in a related field. One of the obstacles I can foresee is my long hair. It's always clean and well maintained but I'm worried that because of its length (about 12 inches) it would hinder my job opportunities and I'm not looking to cut it unless absolutely necessary.

If anyone could contribute some advice, their experience or what happened to someone they know in a similar situation, it would be greatly appreciated and help me out.

All you guys have your points. Keeping it or loosing it really depends on the position that he is going to be working in. Myself, I was a Computer Science major. We rarely deal with the public and there is not a real reason to get uppity about appearance when it comes to us. But, sales and marketing / business management is not the place for you to be letting the freedom flag fly. You are in a position in business which is based on appearance / dealing with the public and partners. I would demand my employees look as professional as possible. Hair means nothing in my opinion but, to some people it is a factor. I would not want to take any chances in limiting my professional career opportunities because of a haircut. Sucks, but the world is that way.

You want to be able to buy more guitars.... RIGHT ?!?!

-Nate

[VoiceX3]

Dude, I do not agree with people geting caught in the the way others look or dress. For me substance is far important.
However, there are people out there that you are forced to deal with that do not share your way of thinking unfortunately.

We have clients that in turn interact with our ultimately client, when you get a telephone call from my immediate client telling me that our ultimate client does not appreciate the way one of our employees projects himself I got to listen to that. I have a responsibility to my other employees and to my family to sustain a relationship with a good client that provides a constant 6 to 7 income figure to the company.
I cannot wave them off and go home playing Rage Against The Machine on the car stereo.

It does not happen with one client, it has happened consistently through the years with several clients. On prior companies I've worked for comments have been made as well.
Hell I used to despise people making fun of me when I wore my long hair back in the 80s. When I made a decision to join the workforce and determine the vein of work for me I had to leave some things behind, hair was not that difficult to abbandon. It is one of the things that makes work suck as much as it does but if I want to provide for my family and feed GAS I got to do it.

I'm sorry that things are like that where you are in Fla. But that is just not the case up here in the Northeast. It was as many as 15 years ago, but not anymore. Believe me, I have a high profile position and work for and with powerful people. I am not even allowed to discuss who I work for because of confidentiality issues, but I can say that I am not the only one here with long hair AND there are others with even higher positions than I. It was not an issue at my last job either (10 years ago) when I worked for E.T.S. (educational testing service) in the SAT, GRE and GMAT departments.

[Rich#6]

With a Marketing degree your going to have to cut it. It took me 10 years to find a job after college to grow my hair back and it sucks because its a mullet. Its falling out in front anyway LOL. I still get a lot of crap from my boss and I try to keep it neat, notice I said try. I tried the ponytail thing and didn't go over well. I cut my hair right before I graduated college thanks to a pushy bitch of a girlfriend. I am an accountant and I started out in hotels, so I was in the publie eye, so no long hair. If its in there hand book I don't think you can do ahything about it. Now I work for a theatre and I worked with my boss before, so it was one of the things I asked about before she hired me. She wouldn't be able to find anyone better than me for what she pays me so I get left alone most of the time. Grow it back after your established , thats what I had to do.

[lerxstcat]

Snow, maybe you should start the job hunt now, to increase your chances of finding a position with a company that won't hold long hair against you. That extra 6 months might increase your chances.

Those of you who are established and feel Snow shouldn't have to cut his hair, perhaps you can help him find a job. If your company tolerates long hair then maybe other companies you do business with feel the same way.

It's definitely true that some companies will hold the hair against you; it's not right, but it's out there. So the more time and contacts you have to find a "friendly" company, the better. Then the question becomes this: If you have to work for less to keep the hair, will the hair be worth $10,000 or $20,000 per year differnce in salary to you? Only you can answer that.

I wish you best of luck, and hope you can find a job you like without losing the hair! But do what's best for you in the long run.

[atomic charvel guy]

Be aggressive, it got me really far, and really fast, and it was a big problem being able to handle it. Save your money. don't get married, and all is well for you.

[fett]

You could shave your head and be a real hit in the business world. Get you cut about a month before you go hunting. If you have 12 in long hair now, it will take awhile for your shorter hair to figure out what it will do. Moose!!!!!!!!!!!!:ROTF: :ROTF: :ROTF:

[Inazone]

In college, I had instructors telling me I'd never get a job with long hair. Well, I kept the hair and had no problem landing a job. I moved on to a better, higher-paying job a couple years later, and have kept the long hair the entire time. I actually dealt with lots of clients at the old job, where as at my current job I deal with internal "clients" and outside vendors. Lots of guys with long hair around here.