Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => Reactions to being Bald => Topic started by: Razor X on July 28, 2010, 09:52:24 PM
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I've seen a lot of posts from fence-sitters who worry that the sly look won't be tolerated in the workplace. It's usually the white collar corporate employees and teachers who have this fear. But I don't recall a single case where the fear turned out to be justified. I've seen the occasional post from people who work for small companies/single proprietorships, that deal directly with the public, whose employers have a rather unenlightened view of shaved heads, but I've never heard anyone who worked for a big corporation or a school district say that their employers had a negative reaction to an employee's shaved head.
In this age of business casual attire, a lot of the rules regarding personal appearance seem to have been relaxed. What I don't see in the corporate world are visible tattoos, long hair on men or earrings/piercings on men; those seem to still be taboo. But I see plenty of shaved heads, which tends to suggest that it isn't a problem at all. Any white collar types out there who ran into problems at work after shaving their heads -- or does anybody know anyone who did?
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Zero negative reactions from corporate staff or clients. I work in the white collar world and am face-to-face with client executives on a daily basis. Not a single negative reaction to sly.
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Razor you've protrayed the business world today as it is. And in many areas, NYC, etc., it's rare to see any grown out fringes either--most are tightly buzzed or shaved, it's almost universal for the guys under 50, but also true for the more "mature" business guys too. And, never, I mean never any comment, unless it's a guy w/ a fringe needing to know how to get free.
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I work in a very "Professional" atmosphere...... a lot of shirt and tie types..... and everyday I go to work with my Harley t-shirts, shaved head, and tattooed arms (very visible). All of these things occasionally raise eyebrows but my professional skills and work habits over ride everything else.
I've been questioned about all of these things on various occasions by various people..... but always in a curious type of way... never negative.
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Shaved heads are in - -and I have two guys working for me with shaved heads - three including me - - - -long hair -piercings - tattoos and earings are not the thing here - -IBM will not even look at you - - - - - SLY BALD - no problem
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Shaved heads are in - -and I have two guys working for me with shaved heads - three including me - - - -long hair -piercings - tattoos and earings are not the thing here - -IBM will not even look at you - - - - - SLY BALD - no problem
Well I'm glad that I don't work for such a bigoted company. It's about skills not looks........
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Well I'm glad that I don't work for such a bigoted company. It's about skills not looks........
I was thinking it, but glad you said it!
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It's probably the same old deal....long hair your a hippie, shaved head your a nazi, etc, etc. etc.
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When I had my first head shave in 2003, I had to go into the office the very next day. The only reactions I recived were ones of surprise & admiration that I had the guts to do it. Not had any negative reactions to being bald at work whatesoever.
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Shaved heads are in - -and I have two guys working for me with shaved heads - three including me - - - -long hair -piercings - tattoos and earings are not the thing here - -IBM will not even look at you - - - - - SLY BALD - no problem
Well I'm glad that I don't work for such a bigoted company. It's about skills not looks........
Other than sly, that is tattoos and piercings, I think the general business world is okay provided that they're not visible or in a few cases that the position doesn't require general interaction with the general public. The value judgment they're making is probably more about the potential of adverse effects on the purpose of the business be it service or general retail sales. They also have restrictions on beards in many instances, goatees and staches, neatly trimmed are generally acceptable, full beards and long beards are less acceptable. It's hard to say if they're bigoted, but they are concerned that their customer or client base will be put off by visible tattoos and piercings to the point it will affect their cash flow. The other factor is the kind of business, some such as general IT, etc. are much more relaxed than, say retail sales or professional services. But generally in the States employment is "at will" so they have the right to "discriminate" unless it's a legally protected class. I don't think Congress or any of the States will act to make people who have piercings and tattoos a protected class anytime in the near future. It's just the way it is.
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Shaved heads are in - -and I have two guys working for me with shaved heads - three including me - - - -long hair -piercings - tattoos and earings are not the thing here - -IBM will not even look at you - - - - - SLY BALD - no problem
Well I'm glad that I don't work for such a bigoted company. It's about skills not looks........
Other than sly, that is tattoos and piercings, I think the general business world is okay provided that they're not visible or in a few cases that the position doesn't require general interaction with the general public. The value judgment they're making is probably more about the potential of adverse effects on the purpose of the business be it service or general retail sales. They also have restrictions on beards in many instances, goatees and staches, neatly trimmed are generally acceptable, full beards and long beards are less acceptable. It's hard to say if they're bigoted, but they are concerned that their customer or client base will be put off by visible tattoos and piercings to the point it will affect their cash flow. The other factor is the kind of business, some such as general IT, etc. are much more relaxed than, say retail sales or professional services. But generally in the States employment is "at will" so they have the right to "discriminate" unless it's a legally protected class. I don't think Congress or any of the States will act to make people who have piercings and tattoos a protected class anytime in the near future. It's just the way it is.
Good solid reasoning here and I agree....... but I'd rather have the guy with the ring in his nose and a tattoo on his forehead that knows what he's doing fix my refrigerator ....than the clean cut looking guy that can't do squat because he's too busy staring at my wife's ass over his toolbox.
Having a strong city accent, I've dealt with this sh*t my whole life. You should see the looks on people's faces when they ask me what I do for a living and I reply, " I design printed circuit boards that help spacecraft fly thru the Universe, that help weapons systems protect our country, and that help operate the highest tech medical inventions today."
Their response is usually........ "Oh, what's a printed circuit board".
Judge not..... (you know the rest)
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I'd rather have the guy with the ring in his nose and a tattoo on his forehead that knows what he's doing fix my refrigerator ....than the clean cut looking guy that can't do squat because he's too busy staring at my wife's ass over his toolbox.
I'm results oriented too, but if there ever was an unprotected minority, that's it!
Having a strong city accent, I've dealt with this sh*t my whole life.
Never noticed the accent frankly, but then you were deep in Bayou Country and it had probably gone away for a while. ;D
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I'd rather have the guy with the ring in his nose and a tattoo on his forehead that knows what he's doing fix my refrigerator ....than the clean cut looking guy that can't do squat because he's too busy staring at my wife's ass over his toolbox.
I'm results oriented too, but if there ever was an unprotected minority, that's it!
Having a strong city accent, I've dealt with this sh*t my whole life.
Never noticed the accent frankly, but then you were deep in Bayou Country and it had probably gone away for a while. ;D
I've lived in Pa. for 15 years and I still get asked "Where's that accent from?".
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I've lived in Pa. for 15 years and I still get asked "Where's that accent from?".
Accents are funny, but try coming from New Orleans, they keep thinking you're from Brooklyn! And the movie people keep giving fake Southern accents to NO characters--it's a hoot, not only obviously fake, but nothing to do with our accent.
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Shaved heads are in - -and I have two guys working for me with shaved heads - three including me - - - -long hair -piercings - tattoos and earings are not the thing here - -IBM will not even look at you - - - - - SLY BALD - no problem
Well I'm glad that I don't work for such a bigoted company. It's about skills not looks........
IT guys have a lot more leeway. I can spot them a mile away at work because they're generally the only ones with pierced ears, long beards and visible tats. You're right, it should be about skills and not looks. I don't know why there's a different standard, even within the same company, but in a lot of professions no one will even look at you if your appearance is anything less than "mainstream." But there seems to be no such bias against shaved heads, thankfully.
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I get an occasional smart remark at work but it's all meant in fun. One of the guys there only shaves his head every couple weeks and in the interim, I call him a degenerate long hair! :*))
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That's funny Sarge. A headshaving wannabee....LOL.
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A friend of mine told me about an incident with his manager at a performance appraisal review. It was shortly after the ADA was passed, and most companies were very gun-shy as nobody really knew how rigorous the enforcement was going to be. The manager quoted the employee manual provision discouraging "extreme hairstyles". He replied that he had a medical condition known as androgenetic alopecia, and that shaving his head was his way of coping with his condition. He firmly stated that if he was going to say anything about it on his PA, he had better be able to prove in court that growing hair is a BFOQ (bona fide occupational qualification), and they would continue the conversation at the Dirksen ((federal) Building. Nothing more was ever said.
The manager was gone two months later, but it had nothing to do with this incident. He was just a jerk.
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There's a lot of those running around.
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In the Air Force it wasn't an issue at all.
And in the state government office where I currently work it was almost entirely positive. A couple of questions but nothing derogatory.
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I get an occasional smart remark at work but it's all meant in fun. One of the guys there only shaves his head every couple weeks and in the interim, I call him a degenerate long hair! :*))
It's that the P.C. way of calling someone a Hippie :px
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The only concern expressed at my place of work was how I was going to keep my dome from freezing during the winter.
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I get an occasional smart remark at work but it's all meant in fun. One of the guys there only shaves his head every couple weeks and in the interim, I call him a degenerate long hair! :*))
It's that the P.C. way of calling someone a Hippie :px
Funny you should say that. Today as he walked by I did call him a 'fricken hippie long hair bastard"! Then yelled "get a haircut"! :*))
I also gave him a HeadBlade and some samples. ;)
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Well what can I say, great minds think alike.
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in my line of work it is expected of the men to be clean cut or well groomed. needless to say i get more positive reactions to the Slydome then i did with groomed hair. in fact my hair never listened to the grooming so every week i was told to cut my hair. not i just shave it and they get to see my pretty dome full of redness from the psoriasis. every other day any way.
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There was a part-time retail position that I worked at after my primary job that really didn't like my head shaven bald. I was interviewed by the assistant manager and hired. I have no problems at my primary job and it was an office type job. All that is required is to dress in a business casual attire, but males and females alike have tattoos and piercings. (Don't wear a tie because they will pick on you about it.) When I eventually met the store manager I got that vibe that she didn't like my bald head. I was right, I over heard a conversation and she told a co-worker that she "couldn't believe that the assistant manager hired me." She also mentioned that i looked like a "satanist." I kept the job for a few more days, until the store manager said "I don't think this is the right position for you."
I wasn't too heartbroken. I was in a bad money situation and needed both jobs, but eventually found another retail job (at a plus sized women's clothing store, but it paid $9 an hour which isn't too bad around here for starting in retail.) but my new boss at this place practically required me to keep my head shaven bald because she likedit so much.
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I get an occasional smart remark at work but it's all meant in fun. One of the guys there only shaves his head every couple weeks and in the interim, I call him a degenerate long hair! :*))
It's that the P.C. way of calling someone a Hippie :px
Funny you should say that. Today as he walked by I did call him a 'fricken hippie long hair bastard"! Then yelled "get a haircut"! :*))
I also gave him a HeadBlade and some samples. ;)
I used to have long hair many moons ago and got called a hippie ;D But then genetics took over and made impossible to grow hair on top of my head ::) I didn't want to grow a skullet either :@`
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Guys, I'd like your advice on this: I've been unemployed for about 16 months. I have over 30 years of successful IT experience (Help Desk Management, IT Transitions and Project Management). I know how to conduct myself in an interview.
My problem is that I cannot get hired. I've had many interviews and even several 2nd level (decision maker) interviews. I always dress professionally and show up well groomed (proudly, with my shaved head). I don't know or understand why I can't land a job.
I'll grow my hair out to a buzz if I thought that was the reason. Have any others noticed this as a problem?
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I'd be very surprised if a shaved head were the reason that anyone got turned down for an IT position. I can only speculate as to why you haven't had better luck in your job search but the first thing that comes to mind is that with 30 years experience your salary requirements might be more than some employers are willing to pay. With so many people out of work, they really have the luxury of picking and choosing and may be going with less expensive options. That would be pretty short-sighted on their part, but it does happen.
I hope things turn around for you soon.
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herronm, I worked IT for the Air Force before I retired in '07. One of the things they liked the most with the interviews I did get was that my A+ Certification was within the past year. My town is glutted with IT guys with HP and Micron downsizing here, but from the IT guys I do talk to, employers are looking strongly at how current continuing education is, or if there's been ANY continuing education at all. Don't forget to list your procurement experience. They're really looking for a completely self-sustaining IT guy these days.
I wouldn't worry about the noggin, I'd worry about selling what's in it.
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Just my 2 cents here but my advice would be removing the gray goatee or dying it darker. There may just be a bit of age discrimination out there these days with so many looking for jobs. Looking younger and contemporary may give you an edge. Try buying newer style clothes if you have not done that in a while. Like maybe a nice pair of tailored suit pants with a bit of pinstripe, light blue dress shirt with NO pencil pocket( light blue has a soothing effect on people when they first see you) and whatever new shoes are in style. It gives you an edge to appear "contemporary" and people find that a confident and appealing look. But do not grow out the hair. A shaved head is in itself part of a whole "contemporary" look. ALso perhaps new frames with a bit more of a "youthful" or current look if you wear glasses all the time. No offense of course but I do keep up on these things. For me Im happiest in shorts, no shirt and barefeet as in my pic :)
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Max, my thoughts are that it's probably a factor of age, but not because your older, but because with your age you're probably more expensive. Have you tried looking into contract work?
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For me Im happiest in shorts, no shirt and barefeet as in my pic :)
Not too many jobs call for that in their dress code (unless, of course, you're a lifeguard!!) LOL
But I totally hear ya - down with excessive layers!! :D
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I work for a Fortune 30 company in a white collar position. I only shaved my head a few weeks ago, but I have interaction with executives and high level managers daily. Some of them have tight buzz cuts and a couple shave twice a week or so. I was in a meeting the other day and someone said, "It's the 3 stooges." Three of us sitting together around the table had shaved heads. This was not a negative comment. It was actually quite funny and a nice ice breaker for the meeting.
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Bottom Line: Every single guy in every office/workplace with a shaved head had to show up bald at work for the first time once. I think it's 100% normal to be nervous -- I know I was. Take action and accept some jitters as part of the process. You've just gotta ride it out, because the reward -- not spending one more valuable minute worrying about losing your hair -- is more liberating than you can imagine when you're still on the fence.