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Get a haircut hippy!

#21
TallLankyBastyd said:
Leave it long (or however you like it!!)

If an employer is hiring based on hairstyles rather than legitimate job competencies... then you really don't want to work for such a bonehead employer!
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+1

I’ve cut my long hair off a number of times including one full shave, only to grow it back every single time. Long hair just seems to be part of who I am. My ponytail is currently only about 6” long and sometimes I trim it down to maybe 4” but that’s about as short as I go these days.

If you like it, I say tie it back, be otherwise well groomed and go to your interviews with confidence. I’ve certainly found a lot more acceptance to it than there was years ago.

Good luck with your decision.
 
#22
I had long hair since I left perochial (sp?) school in grade four. As soon as I transferred to public school, I started growing my hair. By high school it was to my waist; bangs and all. I swore I would never cut it for any reason. And if society couldn't deal with that then that would be societys problem. But when I was around 19 or so, I absolutley couldn't stand it anymore. I went to one of those rich housewife salons where you get a cappucino while you wait; followed by a massage and then a shampoo and then a cut and a style. It cost a lot but the ending result was a great new haircut that I really liked a lot. Plus, all the women who loved my hair before agreed that I looked so much better without all that "messy" hair. My college dating experience was so much more succesful than my high school dating experience. I'm 34 now and couldn't imagine having long hair again.
It's just hair...cut it off. If you don't like it, it will grow back.
 
#24
TallLankyBastyd said:
Hairstylists? Mousse? Pomade?!?

Good gawd!! Aren't there some sort of "Man Club" rules in effect around this place!??!

:eyebrow:
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I hear ya. I would feel extremely uncomfortable in a hair salon. And I know that just like any other worker, some of them suck! It's not exactly a high paying job, what if I catch one of them on a bad day? I would be equally uneasy in a barber shop. Damn I don't know what to do. I agree with Roon, I'm afraid I'm gonna look like a douche with short hair. But change is good right? Times are getting hard and money scarce, I've got to do something. But man I would be so pissed off if I cut my hair and still ended up in a factory.(hrm, not to slight factory workers, but it's not what I'm going for, been there and done that. Definitely not for me, but at least I know they don't give a **** how long my hair is).
 
#25
I hadn't cut my hair short for about 6 or 7 years, I as well looked like a complete douchebag with short hair. I ended up facing my fear for a job and shaving it off to prove a point. My woman at the time literally cried while it was being cut. It ended up looking not as bad as I had expected, but it still wasn't me. I've been growing it back.

On the other hand, my old boss has a crew cut, but his hair used to be down to his ass because he was in a big name metal band in BC. When he worked at a saw mill he was the best employee there for years, but they wouldn't put him through school to be a millwright. He shaved his hair off one day and walked into work, walked up to his boss and went to school to be a millwright. It's not that the boss had a problem with his hair, or that his work changed after the haircut, it was just a way to prove that he was serious about things. He never grew his hair back.
 
#28
If you want to get hired at almost any half-way respectable job, get it cut. Potential employers form instant impressions when they first meet you, and once those impressions are imbedded it's tough to get rid of them.

Think about it this way .... you have a shot at the job along with two other guys (not meaning to dis females in any way here ;)). One guy is unkempt and kinda sorry looking, the 2nd guy is a standard looking cat, and then there is you with your butt-length hair. Assuming all three have equal skills, the sort-of standard looking dude is getting the gig, guaranteed.

From an employer perspective, if all three guys have equal skills, I'm going with the one that causes the least disruption. It's not fair, but it's the real world.

If you cut the hair and get the gig, let it grow back. During that time your employers will get to know you and will overlook the hair thing in deference to your personality and work habits ...... :cool:
 
#29
pointbass said:
If you want to get hired at almost any half-way respectable job, get it cut. Potential employers form instant impressions when they first meet you, and once those impressions are imbedded it's tough to get rid of them.

Think about it this way .... you have a shot at the job along with two other guys (not meaning to dis females in any way here ;)). One guy is unkempt and kinda sorry looking, the 2nd guy is a standard looking cat, and then there is you with your butt-length hair. Assuming all three have equal skills, the sort-of standard looking dude is getting the gig, guaranteed.

From an employer perspective, if all three guys have equal skills, I'm going with the one that causes the least disruption. It's not fair, but it's the real world.

If you cut the hair and get the gig, let it grow back. During that time your employers will get to know you and will overlook the hair thing in deference to your personality and work habits ...... :cool:
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+1

Besides, long hair looks silly unless you are a real rock star or a balding advertising executive in a convertible. Chances are, you are neither, so get it cut and look like a man. :D
 
#30
how can I say this, DON'T CUT IT! I hate that employers sometimes judge your skills according to the length of your hair.
I have waist length Hair and I didn't have any problems when I was interviewed for a Teching position in a very well stablished institute in my Country (Where people tend to be more judgemental with long Haired People)
I say go to interviews well dressed, wear your haur on a braid and be prepared to demonstrate what you know at the moment of the interview; it helps when you show the employers that you are capable of handling the job without problems.
Keep it long!
Fabián
 
#31
Hellbastard said:
how can I say this, DON'T CUT IT! I hate that employers sometimes judge your skills according to the length of your hair.
I have waist length Hair and I didn't have any problems when I was interviewed for a Teching position in a very well stablished institute in my Country (Where people tend to be more judgemental with long Haired People)
I say go to interviews well dressed, wear your haur on a braid and be prepared to demonstrate what you know at the moment of the interview; it helps when you show the employers that you are capable of handling the job without problems.
Keep it long!
Fabián
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I totally agree with what you're saying, but I am smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, and I never finished college. I do have a skillset to offer, but I've had TWO potential employers 'nicely' refuse to even give me an application. They never said anything about the hair, they were nice to my face, but they just told me the position had been filled. Of course this was BS, the position had only been listed that morning, and was still listed the next day.

I'm not stupid, I know what's up. I guess I had already made up my mind when I posted this, this was just therapy of sorts. It's hard for me, ya know? I can grow it back, true enough. I always hated GROWING long hair, it's a pain in the ass until you can actually tie it all back, but I loved having it.

Oh, and as for the "only rock stars have long hair" ideal, I ain't dead yet! :bassist:
 
#32
Bryan316 said:
I'm waiting another couple inches, so I can make another Locks of Love donation, but still be able to pull my hair back in a short tail. I ain't choppin' off my hair any time soon, but it definitely is getting too long for my tastes. I prefer it about shoulder-blade length, it's down in the middle of my back now.


If you DO choose to hack anything off, consider donating it so cancer kids can get wigs. It's totally worth it.
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HUGE +1. I chop it down every couple of years so I can make a locks of love donation, but there's still enough left to pull it back into a short tail. I believe the minimum length was 12", but it was over a year ago when I last donated.
 
#33
Scenario- You're a bass player. You've been offered a sweet record deal. Except you need to get some tattoos and dress like the guy in Green Day. Oh, and write some songs like their's too. What do you do?

It's all corporate, hippy boy. Grow a spine.
 
#34
Seriously, guys, long hair usually doesn't look good. You might think it does, your girlfriend might tell you it does, but it doesn't.

Cut it.

Yeah, I have a "hair stylist," not a barber, but that's because I happen to live with one. She does a great job.

If you're going to a barber, go to one of the old man, been in the business forever, works with a straight razor types. They take pride in their craft, and do a great job.
 
#37
emblymouse said:
Scenario- You're a bass player. You've been offered a sweet record deal. Except you need to get some tattoos and dress like the guy in Green Day. Oh, and write some songs like their's too. What do you do?

It's all corporate, hippy boy. Grow a spine.
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Blah, easier said than done preppy.
But it's gonna happen. The few that posted in favor of keeping it are just luckier than me. I blame location and lack of higher education.

On another note, I also happen to be sleeved out in tats, this time of year I can pretty much hide that with long sleeves, if my hair scares them so much I can't imagine what the tats will do to them when i'm working in short sleeves this summer. And I promise you, I WILL NOT consider getting them lanced.
 
#38
Dude, cutting your hair to get a job is the same as selling out!
First a haircut, then responsibility! Whatcha gonna do when that happens? By then there is nothing left but to sit around and talk about the good old days and yell stuff like "You kids get out of my yard"!

The establishment awaits - Welcome to the machine!
 
#39
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Keep it...

I know pleny of guys who cut their hair to get jobs, and ended up either not getting jobs, or getting scummy jobs they hated. If you've got the skills, you'll get the work. I think i didn't get a few jobs years ago because of the hair, they were in investment banking... i REALY didn't want those jobs.

Look for places where being a bit different is seen as an asset, rather than a problem. You'll be happier there in the long run anyway...

Ian

p.s. I'm 39, married, family, mortgage, "proper" professional career.
 

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