Bald influence on Career

[Tyler]

I have 4 people that work in my company that shave their head out of 40.  Does that tell you anything?

You're a ten percenter?

Hey, he can do math!

[shakf]

Well my colleagues liked my SLY look and so did my boss. However when going for an interview proceed with caution. Just keep it to a number 1 or 2.

[StumpyDave]

I hold a senior position in my company but I started here when I was but a callow yoof!

One of my colleagues on the board thinks that my look is intimidating and not fitting with a conservative business image.  I feel that I am employed because of the way the contents of my head work, and not how it looks on the outside.  My customers don't seem to be upset with the way I look as long as I get the job done.

Some people will definitely be put off by slyness at a job interview.

[Jer]

I agree with everyone, sly doesn't make a difference.  Are you going for American or Canadian federal law enforcement?  I do that up here in the great white north, and one great benefit is in our control and defensive tactics training one thing they always tell us to watch out for is people grabbing the hair to drop you or vice versa.  Sly means less for them to grab hold of to try and take you down first.

Also, like was said earlier, for them to judge due to being sly is pure and simple discrimination, and the last place you'd get that treatment would be applying for a job in the federal government, either here in Canada or in he US.

Good luck getting in!

[PigPen]

I have 4 people that work in my company that shave their head out of 40.  Does that tell you anything?

You're a ten percenter?

Hey, he can do math!

Barely, it took a lot of brain power for that one. So much in fact, it put me behind on my thinking for today.

[Jay]

imagine how bad it would be if you had hair keeping in the heat and making you dumber

[baldking]

First appearance are a bitch in the corperate world

[baldbiker]

I work in corporate America, and this is my experience in this field...

I have been with this corporation for 5 years - have an semi-executive job - love my employees and the company I work for..

The thing you need to keep in mind when applying with a corporate job - is that they see TONS of applicants, so their shock factor goes down significantly compared to a "ma and pops" business.

Now this same sword has a double edge... I'll get to that.

When we are in a hiring phase, I probably interview 10-15 people a week, and one of the first things I (or my HR dept) loses in one of these phases is our first impression in reference to appearance (ie. hair, makeup, yada yada yada....)

The main thing I look for is sincerety when answering questions, their job background - and their deep down reason for leaving their last job... -> the last one is the MOST important to me.

Now, back to the tons of applicants point.
If I see 3 or 4 great applicants, and only one position to fill, I may pick the one with the better appearance - but even then - hair/baldness would not be any factor whatsoever... the appearance would all be focused on professional appearance and how they hold themselves -> professionalism.

So - if you are sly - keep it sly all the time! Your employer won't care - in fact they will probably note it as "well groomed" and probably use it as a (+) rather than a (-).

Just my $.02 on this thread 

[SlySurfer]

I work in corporate America, and this is my experience in this field...


The main thing I look for is sincerety when answering questions, their job background - and their deep down reason for leaving their last job... -> the last one is the MOST important to me.

Would you hire a headshaved guy if he gave this as answer to what you consider to be the most important question....his reason for leaving his last job.

Answer...the headshaved guy left his last job because he was being harrassed because he wore a comb-over. That he was a serious and dedicated perfectionist. But was picked on mercilessly by his supervisor for no reason other than his hair. He left his job because he wanted his dignity and self respect.

[baldbiker]

I work in corporate America, and this is my experience in this field...


The main thing I look for is sincerety when answering questions, their job background - and their deep down reason for leaving their last job... -> the last one is the MOST important to me.

Would you hire a headshaved guy if he gave this as answer to what you consider to be the most important question....his reason for leaving his last job.

Answer...the headshaved guy left his last job because he was being harrassed because he wore a comb-over. That he was a serious and dedicated perfectionist. But was picked on mercilessly by his supervisor for no reason other than his hair. He left his job because he wanted his dignity and self respect.

Well hell yeah! Would have no impact to me.

The reason I stated the above is some (not a large portion, but some) applicants will try to "shine" you that they quit their last job because they were looking for opportunity, when in actuallity they quit (or got fired) for bad habits - that I would be fearful they would bring to my organization.

So - to me, if you were being harrassed - and were a good fit for the job - I'd hire you without missing a step (and also advise you to seek an attorney for the harrassment!)

[KeeperOfTheBeard]

I am fortunate in that for the last 10 years I have been employed at two different organizations - both of which are complete opposites.

The first organization was a non-profit organization that coordinated adoptions and did parent education for prevention of child abuse and neglect.  I was high up in the IT department and I was allowed to wear my beard full and long and have a bald head - I was not allowed to have my sleeves (tattoos) show so it was long sleeves year round - which I fully considered before getting the ink done.

The organization I work at now is much more corporate - I am also high up on the corporate ladder but I am very laid back and refuse to get sucked into job related stress - so I get along with just about everyone - and because of that I have never been questioned over my beard, head or even ink.  I go business casual most days and in the oppressive summer heat and humidity it is always short sleeves.

I think it all depends on the luck of the draw as to what you will find in people's attitudes -  I do not think being sly during a job interview would go against you in any way - matter of fact, one of the people I manage recently had two candidates for a position - he wanted HR's input so HR interviewed both of them as well - and the HR director chose the sly candidate even though their skillsets were nearly identical - she said she thought "he would fit better with the team on a personal level".

[D.A.L.U.I.]

This is truly a non-issue these days.  If it's just a shaved head, nobody cares--the balding might comment but not in an interview if they have any brains under their dying mops!  I've just made the switch from an attorney  government to the corporate world, no problem at all and a major boost in the income level.  There are sly guys in the company, there were sly guys in the local government, the company and the government both work with sly guys on the outside--it just isn't an issue any more.  It might even be said that in times past a shaved head was a "statement" but now considering the number and variety of guys doing it, its a "chorus" but not one that defines your capabilities.  Except for my wife, this isn't an issue.  Kind of nice too, because I still get compliments and I just reallized eight ( months today since I let the blade do what comes naturally.  I also just got back from a very nice, white table cloth restaurant w/ another lawyer (yeh, there are a lot of us) and the maitre d' was sly, our waiter was sly, and at least two other customers were sly--all in one upscale restaurant in the City that Care Forgot --too bad FEMA did too.  And a final comment, I can't remember seeing one sly FEMA guy and considering the few of them w/ any electricity between their ears it doesn't surprise me.  Lots of FEMA types have combovers--that says something too !

[marshd1000]

I applied at my current job while being sly.  I have grown it back once.  When I shaved it back off, my boss said that it looked better that way.  My boss may be prejudiced toward the sly look.  He is not sly, but his brother is!   

[skinhead002]

Speaking as an old crusty soldier and cop, one reason bald is so popular in law enforcment is that so many military come into it, particularly from the combat arms. It's pretty natural for a young military guy to leave the service and go into police work. Im glad to see military haircuts and slick heads have made a big comeback in lew enforcement.  It adds a lot to the professional image of a department.(Believe me, there is a LOT of debate in the "intellectual" circles of law enforcement over appearance, uniforms, etc).  A lot of police academies have gone back to a very structured, regimented military training standard and all the hair comes off(Thank God) and produce good basic officers. 

Anyway, my department has eight of us that are total baldies(one of the lieutenants even calls us the "Baldies") and a lot that wear flat tops, hight and tights and also just the basic once-a-week trip to the barber for a no guard clipper buzz peel.  We actually have a number of those that just get it down to stubble once a week. Here in TX with the heat, its the only way to go.  There are a few of the older officers(from the 70s) that wear longer hair but not many. Most of the those have switched over.

[BALDANDRE]

Speaking as an old crusty soldier and cop, one reason bald is so popular in law enforcment is that so many military come into it, particularly from the combat arms. It's pretty natural for a young military guy to leave the service and go into police work. Im glad to see military haircuts and slick heads have made a big comeback in lew enforcement.  It adds a lot to the professional image of a department.(Believe me, there is a LOT of debate in the "intellectual" circles of law enforcement over appearance, uniforms, etc).  A lot of police academies have gone back to a very structured, regimented military training standard and all the hair comes off(Thank God) and produce good basic officers. 

Anyway, my department has eight of us that are total baldies(one of the lieutenants even calls us the "Baldies") and a lot that wear flat tops, hight and tights and also just the basic once-a-week trip to the barber for a no guard clipper buzz peel.  We actually have a number of those that just get it down to stubble once a week. Here in TX with the heat, its the only way to go.  There are a few of the older officers(from the 70s) that wear longer hair but not many. Most of the those have switched over.

Yea...I've seen a special on police training a while back and the recruits HAD to shave their heads slick bald BEFORE the entered bootcamp...they kept their heads shaved smooth through the whole training..

talk about having one up on Marine training regs...they are hippies in comparison with their buzzed bald standards!