Sly Bald Guys Forum
Discussions About Being Bald => Advantages and Disadvantages to being Bald => Topic started by: GTM on February 22, 2008, 01:41:27 AM
-
Hey everyone, I was reading an article in my college newspaper talking about acceptable appearance for job interviews. It said that haircuts should be kept conservative. I was wondering what you guys thought. Is going sly radical or can it be considered "conservative"? Has being sly ever hurt you in getting a job or even helped it? My goal is to get into federal law enforcement, and from what I've seen, law enforcement agencies are very sly-friendly.
-
Well GTM, I have seen hundreds of law enforcement officials both on the local and federal level with slick bald heads. Most of the police officers in my hometown either had a high n tight cut or shaved Sly. I'd say if that is the field that you are wanting to get into, being Sly should not be an issue at all. I suppose it reallly depends on the agency that you will be wanting to go with.
Welcome to the Forum BTW
-
Im like Jdog..it depends on what field of work you are going into. Even though going sly is more and more acceptable these days...I dont think you would get the leading role in a shampoo commercial or anything. On the other hand though....how would you view it if you were naturally bald and was qualified for the job but didnt get it because you were bald??? Touchy situation there. Welcome to the forum and post up a pic of yourself so we can put a face with the name. Timmayyyyyy!
-
GTM-
Welcome to the Forum! I think the SLY look is aceptable in every walk of life now. Sure there will always be those that hate it or look at it negatively but so what! It isn't about those individuals. Wear the SLY with pride!
-
Nice reply TIMMAY.
I would think that sly would definitely be more accepted to law enforcement than some other styles. Other walks of life might view it different. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
-
No problem with it in the educational field, that for sure. And if "conservative" means short, can't get more "conservative" than sly.
-
Im in law enforcment and it has really taken hold. Cant have a bunch of hippies running around in blue!
-
Shaved heads are actually not uncommon in the business world. Plus you look really sharp in a suit.
-
I think the "conservative" haircut they are referring to is: 1) an outdated suggestion, 2) is referring to long hair, 3) doesn't matter if you have confidence and are the best candidate possible.
-
Yes...just take a look at Tyler....He wasnt able to get a job anywhere else so that is why he is the adminstrator of this site...lol....but hey look on the bright side....He has a lovely looking wife who loves him...so........
Timmay!
-
I believe it is getting more accepted in the work community.. Although the look is more abundant in warmer climates..
I was at a conference in Baltimore this week and there was another SLY guy there and there was an immediate brotherhood felt..
Pretty Cool!!
I am learning the way of the Sly!!! O0
-
Play it safe on interviews with a 001 or 002 cut. When u get the job, then u can find out what's acceptable.
-
I have 4 people that work in my company that shave their head out of 40. Does that tell you anything?
-
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?
-
well ask yourself this...will your being bald effect the job you have to do..probly..not and in law enforcement yes sly is good....and if they don't hire you because your bald it is discrimination...but hey your ability and qualifications make you the best for the job not your slyness...
-
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
imagine how bad it would be if you had hair keeping in the heat and making you dumber
-
First appearance are a bitch in the corperate world
-
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 8)
-
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.
-
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!)
-
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".
-
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 (8) 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 O0--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 :*)) :*))!
-
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! :)
-
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.
-
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!
-
Some of the police academies have gone back to real military regimentation(Thank God) and the instructors make the recruits shave slick daily, which of course, I believe is outstanding.
-
Friend of mine sales Timeshare units. He is completely bald and one of their top salesmen. The SLY look has certainly not hurt him at all.
-
Welcome to SBG hammerdrill ! North Carolina guy here, living in exile in Chicago. The sly look suits you. Did you just shave the dome recently?
SimplyRed
-
Thanks SimplyRed...Yes I did...last weekend. Hair on top was thinning fasssssst. So decided to go with the SLY look. Happy so far and no negative comments at all.
-
Hey everyone, I was reading an article in my college newspaper talking about acceptable appearance for job interviews. It said that haircuts should be kept conservative. I was wondering what you guys thought. Is going sly radical or can it be considered "conservative"? Has being sly ever hurt you in getting a job or even helped it? My goal is to get into federal law enforcement, and from what I've seen, law enforcement agencies are very sly-friendly.
here is a test to see what works better:
Put on a reggae wig and a t-shirt with a pot leaf on it, and go into an interview. Then go into one looking sly, and see which one went better.
-
here is a test to see what works better:
Put on a reggae wig and a t-shirt with a pot leaf on it, and go into an interview. Then go into one looking sly, and see which one went better.
[/quote]
:*)) :*)) :*))
-
GTM, Sly shouldn't be a problem in 95-99% for the places, but your clothes have to be clean, pressed and neat, not extreme--no tank tops of course, but no extreme patterned shirts or suits, shoes shined, fingernails clean and well cut--and brush your teeth and of course no nose hairs :D, the Sly look has one real advantage provided all the rest of the outfit works, they will remember you. An be careful shaving the morning of the interview :x!, a bandage might detract from the effect. :*))
-
GTM, Sly shouldn't be a problem in 95-99% for the places, but your clothes have to be clean, pressed and neat, not extreme--no tank tops of course, but no extreme patterned shirts or suits, shoes shined, fingernails clean and well cut--and brush your teeth and of course no nose hairs :D, the Sly look has one real advantage provided all the rest of the outfit works, they will remember you. An be careful shaving the morning of the interview :x!, a bandage might detract from the effect. :*))
I agree, hygiene, manner of dress, and professional demeanor have a much greater impact on first impressions rather than hair. I believe 80% of the population has accepted head shaving, and it looks much better and less distracting than a comb-over or a cul-de-sac on top of your head. As mentioned in another thread, being sly has actually improved my credibility with some of the patients I encounter (I'm a mid-level practitioner) since it makes me look much more mature and in some ways, wise and experienced.
It can also plays to an advantage in the area where I work (inner-city). I'm less likely to be harassed since I look like I know Kung-Fu. J/K... LOL.
-
i think the sly look is great for any field or career ..it makes u stand out ...sharp look,great confidence...thats the power of the bald
-
I see at least 3 or 4 sly lawyers a day around the courthouse. I think sly is accepted. I can't wait until we have a sly president.
-
I would not and could not work for an outfit that was so shallow that they judge a candidate on his appearance rather then his ability to carry out the job as required!
-
I must point out that I wasn't suggesting that I would support a candidate simply due to his slyness.
-
dome of steele...maybe you should run?? LOL
-
Is that a racoon?
-
Yeah, it's a raccoon. I'm the beastmaster.
-
i beg to differ. i think a bald head can prevent you from getting a job. i know from experience. ive had 4 job interviews since i went sly and as SOON as i walked in i got a weird look from every interviewer. it had nothing to do with my clothing or anything else because i was dressed nice. i had a gray dress shirt and tie with dress pants and dress shoes. i was polite, answered honest questions. the whole shibang. and of course.....they kept staring at my head the whole time like they disapproved of it.
its a no win situation for me. its either i grow my hair back (which is badly receding) and go for an interview or else shave my head and go for an interview. both would be looked down upon. Ive actually had the most luck in interviews when i grow my hair long and curly. its frustrating.
-
Ghost, I wouldn't give up hope just yet. It may be that the person interviewing you hasn't seen someone your age who shaves his head - though I'm not sure how old you are - keep in mind some people do make snap judgements based on someone's appearance. I don't care how many laws are in place to prevent discrimination based on looks - it does still exist. I've been part of interviewing teams where I was part of a panel of managers who selected management trainees and no matter what anyone thinks, looks do play a part in the selection process. Go in with confidence in your abilities, make sure your resume is updated and neat, and prepare as many questions as possible about your prospective employer to show you've done your homework. It can be very frustrating but keep at it - you'll find the right job.
-
alright ill def do that next interview. im 20 btw.