Would You Accept A Job If You Had To Change Your Hair Or Appearance?

I think everyone will agree that the job market is horrible and the worst it has been in a very long time. My guy is trying to get a job and has very long hair that is neat and in a ponytail but he has a beard as well. He has been told by recruiters that it would help him to cut his hair and get his beard shaved off. He refuses. So while I agree it is important to have a code of ethics about your appearance, there are bills that have to be paid.

What is your thoughts? Would you be willing to change your appearance if it meant getting/keeping/losing a job?

Hmmm...good question. Is anyone here an actor? Talk about having to change your appearance for a job--there's Renee Zellwegger's weight gain for Bridget Jones (then losing it all for Chicago), Samantha Morton's shaved head for Minority Report and Brad Pitt's mountain man beard that looked like advancing shrubbery from a distance. (Can't remember the movie that was for though.) I did musical theatre during high school/college and directors are very specific in how they want a character to look. If your hair needs to be short and you really want the role, you either chop it off or wear a wig (the latter works well in non-professional production.) Fortunately with stage productions you can get away with fake bears/wigs/makeup/padded clothing more than you can if you were in a movie. (Not that I've had that experience or ever will!)

But anyway. I don't know if I would. It would depend on the job and the change required. I'm blessed to work in a very inclusive environment right now where that's not an issue. Other thoughts?

I do change my appearance for work.

Working for a corporation, ! have to wear a suit or at least a jacket. I can live with that.

With respect to hair - there is a little compromise.
I will not cut it, but I do tie it back.
I have been under pressure to cut my hair, colour it, style it, etc, but have expressed very clearly that people are walking on thin ice when they broach the subject with me. So those comments are no longer made within my hearing.

I change jobs every 9-18 months so interviews are a way of life. However, I believe if you have the skills required by the marketplace, you will be hired despite any appearance-bias on the part of the employer.

In a depressed market, one is competing with a greater number of people who modify their appearance to suit employers.

If your partner is happiest with long hair and beard, I suggest that he finds alternative hair-friendly employment, outside of his field of expertise as an interim solution.
In parallel to that, he should continue to search for those employers in his specialist area that are interested in him and his skills rather than his appearance.
They do exist, I'm sure.

Best of luck to you both.

Uzma

Has he thought of maybe shaping his beard into a goat tee? These seem to be very accepting to the corporate world.

Ethics? An ethical dilemna is when an employer asks you to lie to a client. Your boyfriend has a preference to long hair and a beard. He doesn't feel anyone should tell him what to do.

We live in a world with other people. Sometimes, that means making decisions that aren't our first choice. When you're married or have kids, that happens a lot.

Some jobs require certain appearances. You may not think they are always justified, but then it's the boss's decision. Jobs dealing with the public often require certain appearances.

If your boyfriend's dream job is like that, I hope he wouldn't compromise his dreams for hair. Hair is great, but dreams are so much more.

Thanks all for your feedback. I am of two minds. I see his point of view and I agree that you should be true to your value systems but I also see that bills have to be paid and after all if someone is paying you to do a job, they do have a right, within reason to ask a certain dress code and look. I know this was a big controversy at I think Disney awhile back. So thank you for all your thoughts. I am going to discuss this all with him and hopefully we can find a compromise. I like the idea LiliBeach of the goatee.

Thanks,
Bratty

Cutting your hair for a job/shaving is discrimination
and positively stinks. Can he get a lower end job
to help pay the bills until someone will hire him in
his area of expertise as he is?

Bratty, would he really be willing to work for less money to keep the beard? That could be a real burden financially.

It's descrimination not to hire someone due to race, color, religion, or gender. There have been lawsuits about people getting hired or not hired due to apperance. When a less attractive woman lost out on a receptionist job to a more attractive woman, she sued and lost. The company believed they had an image to convey.

Any job dealing with the public, with vendors, or clients is within an employer's discretion. Companies have dress codes, even those that don't deal with the public. Is a hair code that much of an extension?

Besides dress, employers ask you to compromise your beliefs by coming in on time, bathing regularly, not goofing off and posting on the Internet (oops), among other things.

It isn't descrimination to ask someone to change their appearance for a job.

Most courts have decided that an employer CAN discriminate on the basis of clothing, hairstyle and hygene and cleanliness. In most civilized countries you CAN'T discriminate by race, religion, ethnicity or gender but you can have "dress" codes.
But just because the employers have a right to thus discriminate doesn't mean it is "morally" right.
If a person has an unusual hairstyle that isn't overly distracting to other employees or the public and if that person does good work, many enlightened and progressive employers will hire that person anyway.-( Example - men with very long hair or earrings, a woman with a short dress or noserings as I wear)-.

Personally I am willing to go along with a dress code within reason and no employer I have ever had has requested me to remove my nosestuds, but if the employer was too conservative I might decide not to work there.
Two can play this game;- an employer could miss out on a talented hard-working employee if they discriminate too much. -(In my humble opinion)-.

Hi! (new here)

If a specific would-be employer asked me to cut my hair, I'm not so sure I'd want to oblige. However, I am very seriously considering cutting my hair as I go out job prospecting. (I haven''t worked in a few years -- been home raising children.) And once I secure a job, I won't have any qualms about growing it back. By that time, I can be judged for my work performance and not my looks. Unfortunately, it really does seem as if long-hair people aren''t considered as professional.

Reggia, perceptions can be a key to securing a job and the employer might not even realize it. How you look, (clothes, hair) and body language can send subconscious signals to interviewers.

How long is it now and how short are you thinking of going? You may not need to cut your hair if you can wear it up in a way that makes you look professional and not like a young girl. Along the same lines, if you go too short it can be attractive, but may be intimidating.

A new cut will enable you to leave your stay-at-home mom look behind and create your professional self. Get a cut that makes you feel more self-confident, like you

For crying out loud, Reggia, jut put it in a bun. A neat and tight bun and
it will not only look professional but it will not even be clear how long it is.

Well, thanks for the suggestion, Duke. ...only problem is that buns don't stay neat on me for very long. I don't seem to have the "tight bun" face either, or maybe it's the personality -- dunno for sure.

* * *
Thanks for your response, Rod. My hair is about 4-6 inches above the waist. Yes, I don't much care for very short cuts but may consider a cut that touches the shoulders. I think the change would be a little fun but... Even so I'm hoping that long layers will do the trick, and enable me to put it up.

Reggia,

If you believe in your skills and ability to do the job, then let that be your source of confidence. You know you can do the job just as well with long hair. So there's no compelling reason to change it. Just restrain it in a ponytail or braid. Confidence in yourself with shine through and convince would-be employers to hire you.

It worked for me, and I have (what appears to be a waist-length) braid.

Let us know how your job search goes, and good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement, Dave! When you mentioned your long braid, it reminded me of the comment I made when first moving to this town over a year ago. I remember saying and thinking that it was the long-haired capital of the country - not negatively but just in awe, I had not seen so much hair since I was a kid. Perhaps this town is more accepting than I gave it credit for.

I did cut my hair for a job when I was in my late teens. In the news business, there are very rigid appearance standards. I'm not saying they are right or wrong, but they are expected in that industry.

It was a foot in the door to a career I wanted. I had hair to my shoulders and had little interest in cutting it. Guys with hair that long don't get to be on camera. Oddly enough, it turns out I prefer my hair short. It's a buzzcut these days and has been for a long time.

I did it and have no regrets. That does not mean everyone should cut their hair for a job.

If the job is just "a job" I most likely would not have. Since it was in the career I wanted and the competition was stiff, I did it without hesitation. (Never did get on camera, he notes, semi-ironically)

I grew a goatee while working at an underground magazine. When I interviewed for a newspaper in a more conservative area, I was asked if I'd shave it off if I was offered the job.
We haggled out a price and I did. (My wife was grateful)

Being a guy, the longer your hair is, it is most likely the job market will frown upon that look. As a fan of short haired women, and as a guy who used to have long hair, I find that a bit of a double standard. I understand health concerns in food service jobs, which is why hair nets and hats are available. In an office situation, as long as someone is neat in their apearance, it should not be a problem. sadly, it is.

I've hired people in the past based on how much talent I felt they had, not the way they looked. It is a strange world we live in and human resources people have preferences like everyone else. It is a shame when those preferences become a stumbling block for someone who just wants to support his/her family.

[QUOTE=reggia] Thanks for the encouragement, Dave! When you mentioned your long braid, it reminded me of the comment I made when first moving to this town over a year ago. I remember saying and thinking that it was the long-haired capital of the country - not negatively but just in awe, I had not seen so much hair since I was a kid. Perhaps this town is more accepting than I gave it credit for.
[/QUOTE]
Hi Reggia,
You are welcome. :-) I have gone through the process of finding employment several times while with long hair, and as HeadBoy mentions, it (on a man) is an obstacle with some HR folks.

You have piqued my curiosity... where exactly is this long-hair heaven, if I may ask?

That would be Boise.

[QUOTE]Some jobs require certain appearances. You may not think they are always justified, but then it's the boss's decision. Jobs dealing with the public often require certain appearances.

If your boyfriend's dream job is like that, I hope he wouldn't compromise his dreams for hair. Hair is great, but dreams are so much more. [/QUOTE]

Don't you realise it's that attitude that causes this in the first place? Nothing "requires" specific appearance except maybe actros, and at least then they may be able to pass up certain roles for others.

It's this that tells the public what to expect anyway.

I am a guy with very thick wavy just blow chin length hair, it'd be extremely hard for me to get a job because of it. I'm never, ever going to cut it though, unless it's what I want to do and even then it'll only be an inch or too shorter.
If we all cut our hair for jobs, nothing will cahnge, don't you see? If enough people protest for something as simple as this people do take notice. If even only one case manages to make a good example it would help.

What's worse is that even when I get my Degree in Computer systems, I still won't be as preferable for a job as someone underqaulfiied. I'm growing mty hair out logner and I do intend it to be bright unnatural colours which equates "Useless Punk" to idiots.

How is it any different from discriminating against race? YOu're saying "Sorry, you can't be black" "Sorry you can't be long haired". There is no difference except that the latter can change. If a black man could change to a white but not go back, would there still have been outrage? Of course, rightfully so. We are entitles as human beings to show our insides on our outsides, to be who we want to.

If you think about it discriminating against religion isn't as bad, Religion is something implied upon you at birth, only if it's personal religion should it be applicable, yet ironically nobody takes personal religion seriously.

Some things are mroe important than money. Human rights, for instance.
Where has our fighting spirit gone?

If you show up for a job interview dirty, unshaven, ungroomed in your underwear, should the interviewer take that into account? Didn't how your significant other looks impact your attraction? We're all here on a hair board, so appearance has to be important to you.

When you work in retail or sales or any job that deals with the public (lawyer, doctor) how you appear impacts your impression on your clients/customers. If we all decided we were going to make judgements based on appearance, the world would be a better place. But it's not the world we live in. Attractive, well-dressed, polite people sell better than unattractive, poorly dressed, rude people. So, who should the boss hire? If the boss thinks that you could sell more product if your hair was a certain way, shouldn't he want that? The receptionist needs to be someone who is welcoming to his clients.

In jobs where you don't deal with the public, the boss shouldn't have a say in hair recommendations, but most people would agree he has the right to say no shorts or sandals. Is that very different?

I know a lot of men who are computer programmers. Two of them have hair below their shoulders. In that profession, long hair actually gives a better impression. Techies are off-beat. They go against the norm.

Well, Vineman and Rob show opposite ways
of looking at the situation and it's interesting.
This is how I see it: generally, if you don't
work with clients but are in a closed office, it shouldn't matter one bit how you dress, as
long as you are not distracting people. Thus, if I
ever become an average employer, I will allow
my office employees to wear a chicken suit to
work if it doesn't deconcentrate the others
too much. As for workers who are with clients,
there might be a stricter dress code (in some
industries at least no real potentially gross
things like body art) but I'd try to keep it as
lenient as possible and would certainly not
regulate hair length. If dress codes are ever
necessary, they are then in an average place
a necessary evil.

Bratty, are you there? Whatever happened
with your boyfriend?

[QUOTE]If we all decided we were going to make judgements based on appearance, the world would be a better place. But it's not the world we live in. Attractive, well-dressed, polite people sell better than unattractive, poorly dressed, rude people. So, who should the boss hire? If the boss thinks that you could sell more product if your hair was a certain way, shouldn't he want that? The receptionist needs to be someone who is welcoming to his clients.
[/QUOTE]

That's disgusting, you're saying that unattractive, poorly dressed people are generally rude. You're encouraging this rape of personality. You're looking at it from a business point of view, what should the Boss do to get profit, you're not saying anything about actual personal rights at all. You're just encouraging the greed that lies in the black hearts of so many employers on this dirty planet.

I hate when people talk about "Welcome to the real world, you have to make sacrifices for money"it's so stupid. WHY? Why make money if it's not making you happy! You don't HAVE to have a family, you don't HAVE to be the same.

It just goes the show what the world has come to. Progress... People work to run the world... but if everyones working, whos in the world to appreciate it?

Pathetic.

[QUOTE=Vineman]
That's disgusting, you're saying that unattractive, poorly dressed people are generally rude. You're encouraging this rape of personality. You're looking at it from a business point of view, what should the Boss do to get profit, you're not saying anything about actual personal rights at all. You're just encouraging the greed that lies in the black hearts of so many employers on this dirty planet.

I hate when people talk about "Welcome to the real world, you have to make sacrifices for money"it's so stupid. WHY? Why make money if it's not making you happy! You don't HAVE to have a family, you don't HAVE to be the same.

It just goes the show what the world has come to. Progress... People work to run the world... but if everyones working, whos in the world to appreciate it?

Pathetic.
[/QUOTE]

You've misread my post. I never said unattractive people are rude, only that if a person is unattractive or poorly dressed or rude, they won't get hired.

What personal rights are you talking about? Should a boss give you money because you want it? It's his money. He has the say. Start your own company and let the people come in whenever they want wearing bathrobes. Either make your own rules or you live by someone's else's rules. If you don't have to make sacrifices for money, how do you eat? Pay the rent? Does someone support you? All of us aren't as lucky.

You don't have to have a family, but for most of us, the family makes us happy? So, we're willing to make sacrifices for them.

The world is a far better place than it used to be. Freedom is at a premium. If you look through history, the choices you want to make couldn't have been made. People worked much longer hours and their employers, or feudal lords, ruled those lives.

[QUOTE]hat personal rights are you talking about? Should a boss give you money because you want it? It's his money.[/QUOTE]

That's very... capitalist. You should get money because you're just as fit as the next person to do it who doesn't have purple hair.
Like, what if some boss said "I don't like the look of that black guy... he looks kinda shady" that wouldn't be very fair would it?
I only hope you are victim to prejudice some day so you'll understand, then again if you have I'm pretty sure you didn't have the "balls" to stand up for yourself.

[QUOTE]he world is a far better place than it used to be.[/QUOTE]

Don't you see? It's better because people like me stood up for themselves and others and said "Hold on, that's not right". So why are you criticising further progress? very hypocritical.

Also, the point is that the world needs people like me, if the world was filled with Rods (no offence) nobody would stand up for their rights and there would be no real progress. The world needs different types of people to work and evolve.