Bearded baldies and the corporate world

[BlackJamesRackham]

I'm a consultant as well, and I see plenty of bearded baldies. As for me, I rock a soul patch with my shaved head. Haven't had any issues yet.

And as others have said, it appears you keep your beard looking clean and neat, so it shouldn't be an issue. Good luck! Let us know how it goes

[Sly Red]

Hey James, are you a consultant in IT?  If so, is your organization full of headshaved, tatooed, pierced radical dudes?  Ah, my kind of people    I worked in IT in banking for a while and it was way too conservative.

[BlackJamesRackham]

Hey James, are you a consultant in IT?  If so, is your organization full of headshaved, tatooed, pierced radical dudes?  Ah, my kind of people    I worked in IT in banking for a while and it was way too conservative.

Not exactly IT. But based on your description of it, it sounds like the type of crowd I'd like to hang with! We're on the more conservative side, no visible tatts, no piercings, etc. Shaved heads work just fine...thank god!

[Razor X]

I feel more confident with a beard, so I don't want to shave it and I think it looks better. 

There's your answer.  If you've never had a shaved head and a clean shaven face at the same time, it can be a bigger adjustment than you think.  Takes some time to get used to.  Right before an interview might not be the best time to experiment with a change in your appearance.

I think it's better to interview for the job looking the way you intend to look once you're hired.  Trying to change your look after you get the job -- by shaving, growing, etc., etc. can be awkward because you're still not sure what's frowned on and what's not.  If you get hired with a beard, on the other hand, you know it's OK.

Facial hair is not a big deal these days,  unless it's untidy or trimmed into unusual patterns, neither of which is true in your case.

[Tyler]

Also, check jobs at this company http://www.stratfor.com/jobs as I know they wouldn't care about your shaved head with a beard.

[marty22]

agreed. play it safe till you're in the door 6 months or so.

[jhickman]

Thanks for the advice fellas.  I'm going to follow your example and rock the goat for a while 

Thanks for the link Tyler, I'll check it out.