Confidence and Success > Business/Work

Beard in the workplace?

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WesM:
Hey guys,

I was just wondering what your thoughts on going to interviews for white collar jobs with a good size beard are? I'm currently letting my beard grow for about 6 weeks before I trim it up and make it look more "professional". I still have a semester left in college so I have plenty of time.

I'm prior military so the idea of not shaving for a job interview is counter to my nature. Also my field is in accounting which makes it even more counter culture. Most people would agree that the accounting field is one of the most conservative industries possible. A shaved head with a beard is a fairly aggressive look, especially on a young guy.

Ideally I would shave for the interview and just grow it back after I got the job, but I feel like that's sort of lying/deceitful behavior. I really like the idea of a professional looking beard with a shaved head though.

Any thoughts? Or better yet any actual experiences in this area? Am i just screwed?

Cave Dweller:
I have had a beard at every interview since I graduated college. It never was an issue.

I think, however, that it has a lot to do with the attitude of the company. I interviewed with a firm once that rejected me during the interview because I wore a pair of expensive loafers with my suit rather than wingtips. One of the interviewers had a full beard.

My last two interviews were with the smooth dome. (I had a bushy goat and a scruffy, three week beard at more recent of the two.) Got both of the jobs.

I don't see anything dishonest about shaving for the interview, however, if it gets you past any appearance perceptions/biases of the interviewers and lets them consider just your abilities and qualifications. You probably will be dressed much nicer for the interview than you will be  for every day of the job. I don't think anyone would call that dishonest.

Sly Red:
I what city are you interviewing?

Red

Semi-Sly:
There are only a couple of places here in Chicago where the beard would not be acceptable:
- a couple of arch conservative blue blood law firms
- one or two of the banks that hold the money for these folks, (e.g. the Northern Trust.  At the Northern you would be sent home if you wore colored socks!)
 
In almost any other setting a beard is acceptable. However, it needs to be very well groomed and trimmed.  It can't be more than an inch thick at the greatest and it can't be "scruffy".  No wooly necks.  No lumberjack beards. No Hipster looks.  When people send out their accountants or bring them to meetings they want their best corporate image out their!

So not worry about the 'deceitful" thing.  Do whatever, is going to GET you the job and then KEEP  the job based upon your performance, (not your appearance).  If you are either more comfortable going into interviews clean cut and athletic looking, or if you think that look might be more appealing to potential employers, then I would counsel you to do that.  You can always grow the beard back if you discover that it is accepted in the workplace you get into.

Razor X:
I'm an accountant. Had a shaved head and a goatee when I got hired -- and I was hired by a guy with a shaved head and goatee.  I later grew out to a full beard and it's not been a problem.

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