Well the time has come for me to look for another job.

 

My boss is pissing me right off and has been for a very long time now, and after a heated debate the other day there is no turning back.

 

So begins my job hunt.

 

My question to you guys is this - does long hair on men in this day and age still matter when going to an interview?

 

My hair is shoulder length, and at the back, its a little lower than the base of my neck. It's in good condition and tidy. I'm thinking that if I dress up like I usually do, wear a nice suit, shirt etc etc I can pull it off if I tie it back neatly, but just wondering what you guys think.

 

I work in accounts, so not much customer facing at all.

 

Cheers!

Hmm, hard one as although you are not customer facing you are in one of those jobs that people generally expect to be smart. I'd say you would get away with it as long as it was tied up neatly, but probably better if it was the usual boring short back and sides?

i sat in for a round of graduate interviews at my place last year. At one of the sessions this really tall guy turned up who had long dreads. Thought he did ok in the interviews and seemed a nice guy.

At the meeting after the interviews where all the interviewers discuss the candidates one of the interviewers came in and said "what was that guy with the dreadlocks all about! It is a definite No from me!" no one disagreed and that was him struck of the list. Seemed very harsh to me. Saw the guy again as he was a mate of someone who did get hired and he had cut his dreads off and looked far more respectable and had got a job (dont know if it was pre or post getting the job).

I know dreads are different to smart long hair but i guess the moral is still applicable. I work at quite a conservative engineer design house (lots of right handed science types) and this guy was still a uni student so it was a bit of a two worlds collide thing.

it should not matter but whether it would be detrimental to you getting the job is another question, they make their mind up within 3 secs of seeing you and if they are that way inclined they will use some other reason for you not getting the job.

 

To be honest if you look smart and well kept and the fact you were turned down a job on your appearance to me that would suggest they are not a company i would want to be employed by anyway

Depends what type of role you are applying for. Some roles, such a company representatives require candidate to look smart, clean shaven and tidy hair. For obvious reasons as they are reflecting the company image/brand. So in that sense, then it might be an issue. But for anything else, it shouldn't make any odds.

Cheers for the comments so far guys, I'll see if I can get a couple of pics up tonight.

 

To be honest if you look smart and well kept and the fact you were turned down a job on your appearance to me that would suggest they are not a company i would want to be employed by anyway

 

That's a good shout.

Its not really so much role specific as job interview specific though. I work as a network engineer in smart casuals day to day. It would be silly wearing an expensive suit. I wouldn't dream of going to an interview in anything but the smartest of clown outfits though :0 I still think the older generation would prejudice against long hair so wouldn't risk it if it was an important interview (which ones arn't?).

To be honest if you look smart and well kept and the fact you were turned down a job on your appearance to me that would suggest they are not a company i would want to be employed by anyway

Problem is people who are doing interviews don't have much to go on in deciding who to hire. To start with it takes a skilled interviewer to get a proper idea of someones character, and most are not that skilled at it. Secondly you may not perform 100% yourself, so things like appearance become important.

in this world people go on appearance look at FHM lol

 

if the job involved entertaining customers then they may may pass judgment on looks etc

 

if its behind a desk (IT) then it shouldnt matter bud IMO as its more important that your hard working/friendly and above all have the knowledge to fullfil the role.

 

greg

Just taken some pics with my phone at work, trying to work out how to get em on my pc.

Cheers for the email Steve, as requested....

 

Problem is people who are doing interviews don't have much to go on in deciding who to hire. To start with it takes a skilled interviewer to get a proper idea of someones character, and most are not that skilled at it. Secondly you may not perform 100% yourself, so things like appearance become important.

 

I can defo see that, and some people in my office are very critical of peoples look, hair etc when they interview which I hate. I'm just hoping that if I tie it back, and dress smart, the first impression will be me, not my hair, they probably wont realise it's tied back until I turn my head. I think my hair looks ok with a suit too when down, I've been to a few clients like it. It looks ok from the front but the back looks a little too much.

 

if the job involved entertaining customers then they may may pass judgment on looks etc

 

Yes I would defo say so, I mean if I was going for a job in sales or something customer facing, it may well be an issue. I'm hoping for what I do, they will be a little less stereotypical.

 

I had my hair cut off once for a job interview as it meant so much to me (this was around 10 years ago though), I thought I did amazing on the tests and at the interview, but I still didn't get the job. Result was a haircut I didn't want and I still didn't get the job. I don't really want to have to cut it off to please someone else this time.

Cheers for the email Steve, as requested....

 

 

ROFL! Cheers mate, thats a big help.

narrow mindedness, i hated wearing uniform at school, im buggared if i am conforming to what others suggest i should look like now im an adult.

 

I judge people on intelligence, kindness and friendliness. If a person can not see past long hair or a few tattoos they are the ones at fault and need to address their own attitude before they take to judging others for such shallow matters

Don't go in there lookin like Steven Segal...........lol

Just be yourself and be thankful you have hair....

Good luck whatever you do....got to be better than been stuck with an a$$hole of a boss... :headvswal

narrow mindedness, i hated wearing uniform at school, im buggared if i am conforming to what others suggest i should look like now im an adult.

 

I judge people on intelligence, kindness and friendliness. If a person can not see past long hair or a few tattoos they are the ones at fault and need to address their own attitude before they take to judging others for such shallow matters

Yep completely agree with you. I'm an expert at not wearing uniforms, being a scruff and having big tattoos but unfortunately your expected attire in an interview room goes up and down with the wages! Go for a shelf stacking job in the local supermarket and you can wear anything you want, go for a job that pays enough money to run a sports car and you'll need to smarten up lofty! Way of the world unfortunately.

ROFL! Cheers mate, thats a big help.

 

;)

Wear that afro wig Steve..

That would look mint at work.. Just the job :D

I judge people on intelligence, kindness and friendliness. If a person can not see past long hair or a few tattoos they are the ones at fault and need to address their own attitude before they take to judging others for such shallow matters

 

 

Unless of course they happen to drive a Corsa or civic with a kit

on, or god forbid a baseball cap cos then they are all CHAVS

;)

Unless of course they happen to drive a Corsa or civic with a kit

on, or god forbid a baseball cap cos then they are all CHAVS

;)

 

 

exactly, i dont know any kind,friendly or intelligent chavs!!! :rofl: :D

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

OOOOH I've seen your Sig you fooker

My car is French

:cry: :cry:

K pics up, courtesy of my nokia and the work bog lol.

 

 

 

 

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

OOOOH I've seen your Sig you fooker

My car is French

:cry: :cry:

 

 

so is my gran but i wouldnt want to go for a ride in her either lol!! :rofl: ;)

K pics up, courtesy of my nokia and the work bog lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

i seriously would not worry about that at all!!

 

Its cut well, looks very clean and looked after and in all honesty is a lot smarter than all of these "metrosexual" styles the young lads of today are having where their hair is all diff lengths and spiked in diff directions.!

K pics up, courtesy of my nokia and the work bog lol.

 

 

 

 

 

fookin ell dude Steven Seagal steps up to the plate. Looks alright bud i think it looks smart personally if there not happy with the person/skills then there idiots :mac1:

Go with the Ponytail.

 

Mind you a Tom Cruise look-a-like might do the job in the first pic. :D