long hair discrimination

[Alkali Ike]

Thank you for your service to the country.

Now get hooked up with a professional résumé writer.

 

[fdeck]

In the pic, your hair doesn't seem long.

 

[tZer]

My advice - lose the hair entirely and liberate yourself.

 

[Texan]

Your resume reads like a military resume. That's why you're not getting hired.

I'd HIGHLY recommend having someone help you with it. The military thing isn't quite as much of an advantage as you'd think it is. They (civilian HR guys) have the impression that we're all inflexible meatheads, or that we're PTSD. That, and they don't understand the military stuff. Write for your audience.

Pacman is dead on!!! I made it a point to write my resume for the civilian audience when I got out.

 

[Actium]

I deal with customers once in a while at my work. My hair is well past my shoulders. On those customer days I put my sharp looking clothes on. Not like suit/tie sharp, but it looks like I was meticulous about my appearance. Which I am, my dressier clothes were all made for me by a tailor so they fit really well and use colors appropriate for my skin/hair/eye tone. I've always gotten more compliments about my hair than sneers. Except when dealing with elderly men from the ww2 generation. Buncha intolerant jerks they usually are. I hate to stereotype but the majority of them have this horrible phobia of things outside the status quo that's ingrained into their brains.

It's about how you present yourself as a whole. I wouldn't have guessed it was your resume but other vets obviously nailed that one. It's a huge part of how you present yourself.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

I'm not so sure it's the hair as much as that weird distant stare.

Seriously though, it sounds to me like you're experienced with the management and transportation of hazardous and sensitive goods. So for instance, sending this resume to be a UPS driver might sound like a good idea, but to the HR dolt, he doesn't recognize, nor does he probably even read your resume as much as doing a search for key terms in a database. So he might type in 'delivery' or something like that, and your resume won't even come up. But if you presented your resume to a chemical company, or some company that is responsible for handling delicate cargo, you might be better suited. So my advice is to three fold.

1. Sharpen your resume up so it will show up in search databases (think of what an HR dolt would be typing into monster)
2. Apply it in appropriate companies
3. Trim the fro for the interview.

As far as appearances go, you want to have an interview about your skills and experience and not a dialogue about your hair and attire.

Good luck and thanks for your service.
3.

 

[AdamR]

Thats not long hair.

 

[Munjibunga]

I can see how that would apply if my hair was messy. When it gets long it only really goes in one direction...and I've had a fine amount of trimming done to it to get it that shape.

I guess I'm saying I'm proud of my fro and the man can't bring me down.

Since "the man" isn't going to be your employer, you're right.

 

[MatticusMania]

I thought we were past this in this nation. Here's my resume.

but I'm pretty sure I don't get hired because of my hair.
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I'm pretty tired of not getting interviews when I know I'm more than qualified.

Are you sure it was your hair and not because they found a more qualified apllicant?

Did you wear your hair down or have it pulled back and neat?

I get that, and I only grow it out in the winter. I just don't understand how this isn't like any other kind of discrimination.

Then you should have cut it. Its not like other forms of discrimination because you have the choice of wearing your hair long, or cutting it. Cutting it shows a potential employer that you are willing to do what is necessary to get a job.

FTR, if I wanted a job bad enough to cut my hair, I'd go back in the military and get a real paycheck. I got out because I wanted freedom and to grow my hair out in the winter if I wanted to.

So cut your hair, get a job, and grow your hair out next winter. You should understand that this winter youre looking for a job, and your chances of getting one increase when you present yourself in a particular fashion.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

So cut your hair, get a job, and grow your hair out next winter. You should understand that this winter youre looking for a job, and your chances of getting one increase when you present yourself in a particular fashion.

Yep.

 

[MatticusMania]

My hair wasn't messy either, but still not what would be seen as formally acceptable

I, too, had to cut my hair when seeking employment.
Not entirely correct, I chose to cut my hair, knowing I would be presenting myself in a more professional manner, and it worked! (suckers!)

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Your resume reads like a military resume. That's why you're not getting hired.

+1

armywalaby, if you're not getting interviews, it's because your resume isn't telling prospective employers what you could do for them. Unless your resume has a photo, they're not looking at your hair. I sure hope you're not attaching the drum photo to the resume.

A lot of people have crappy resumes, not just military. Don't just list what you did and then figuratively toss it over the transom. Think, what can your experience and training bring to the employer? Express yourself that way, and spell it right out. Some skills are hard to come by; you mentioned training--people who can train others well, who have patience and can organize knowledge, are in high demand in many parts of the private sector.

 

[EricF]

I guess I'm saying I'm proud of my fro and the man can't bring me down.

I've found that lack of a paycheck can bring me down pretty quickly. I'm a fan of eating and having a place to live, though. You might be different.

 

[armywalaby]

I got a job two days ago! Working part time cleaning up @ night at the local Macys. It's pud work, but the boss is really nice...and apparently they've been through a bunch of retards. I'll put in some time here since I've been out of work for a few years and pay for a service when I can afford it. It works out well too, because it's a part time gig which gives me more daylight to restore this fixer upper I'm living in.

A lot of great advice here. If I get it cut on a #6 clipper it will have some length that I can still have my thing but look presentable. That probably wasn't a great pic to post, but it was the only recent one I had that I thought was less herp-derp. Here was the other option.

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FTR, I am really a bass player! 15 years! but at the time the money was in drums, you guys know how it is.

Addendum: I was talking to my boss' daughter (she sings in a local cover band) and she said her mother said "I didn't know about him at first because of his hair...." hahahahahaha

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Dude, that is NOT long hair.

+1

Your hair doesn't seem like a problem at all. I had longer hair and worked (successfully) in sales for a few years. Are you sure it's not how you setup your resume or it's not your interviewing skills?

 

[India_Sierra]

Yes, long hair can still be seen as a barrier to employment and a 'professional image'.

In my job, men aren't allowed long hair unless it's for religious reasons so I've never had that problem. Not that I'd grow it anyway.