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dilema at a job interview. by Ghost1988 on 01 Jul, 2009 14:29
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today i had a job interview at sheetz (for those who dont know what that is its a gas station/store/restaurant). the interview was going well until the employer tells me "are you willing to grow your hair back?" shocked and kind of insaulted i agreed to but i dont really want to. i feel like i HAVE to now that i agreed to though. they considered my shaved head an "extreme hairstyle" and he said people with extreme hairstyles have to change it in order to get the job. what ever happened to not judging someone by there appearance? i hardly consider a shaved head an extreme hairstyle. its not like i have pink hair, or a spiked mohawk? i think theyd rather have me shave my head then show up to work with a horseshoe at 20 yrs old lol.
anyways.......i didnt get the job yet for sure. he said hes gonna do a background check and then hell call me back. i have a clean record but im actually hoping i dont get that job anymore. maybe i just wont answer my phone when he calls back.
is a shaved head not professional? that was always a worry of mine. that i wouldnt get a job based off of my hair. now it seems that that might be the case. -
#1 by Sly Red on 01 Jul, 2009 14:35
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If you feel strongly about it simply decline if offered and tell him why.
Red -
#2 by SBG Math Guy on 01 Jul, 2009 14:39
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Sadly Ghost, in such jobs they will ask you to grow back your hair.
I think the places where it will not matter would be those professional jobs like
accountants, lawyers, professors, etc.
I suppose it's because in those professional jobs the work that you do takes over everything else.
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#3 by Sly Red on 01 Jul, 2009 14:44
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I'm sure there are hip places like Starbucks and that sort of place that don't put emphasis on hair. Everytime I go into a Borders or Starbucks with my shaved head and pierced ears I feel perfectly ordinary.
Listen to your ol' hippy Uncle Red, f-em!
Red -
#4 by SBG Math Guy on 01 Jul, 2009 14:47
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Ok this might sound as something racist. I hope it is not.
I don't know where the guy at the gas station was from, but I would tend
to think that "white people" accept baldness much more easily than say people
from the Middle East (and yes I come from the Middle East).
So maybe you can look for jobs where the owner/manager comes from a culture
that accepts baldness.
I know family can be a headache even if white, but if it's something like a job I think
they care much less about how much hair you have. -
#5 by bem75 on 01 Jul, 2009 14:53
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I am actually shocked by this. Bob Sheetz (owner, founder, ridiculously rich guy, etc) lives about 1 mile from my house and is friends with my parents. I am seriously going to mention this to them. That is out of line, in my opinion. It you had a mohawk or pink hair, like you said, I could understand it. However, I think that it took some kinda balls to ask you to grow your hair back. I wish that I had been there with you. I would not have been able to hold back.
Good luck Ghost. If you don't get the job, you have a serious grievance against the franchise owner. If you do get the job, you have a good fight on your hands.
Just FYI, I am in a very professional business and three out of the four guys in my company have shaved heads. Go figure.
By the way, I am assuming that you're in PA. Which city? -
#6 by Ghost1988 on 01 Jul, 2009 14:59
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thanks bem i appreciate it. i could have easily said "no i wont grow my hair back" but then i wouldnt get the job . and with the economy situation how it is, its not certain that ill even find another job. ive been looking for months until i finally got an interview here. so i didnt know what to do. i fell victim to them i guess. so i agreed.
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#7 by Razor X on 01 Jul, 2009 15:15
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Personally, I'd have to be really hard up for cash before I'd alter my appearance to work in a gas station.
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#8 by stasiu on 01 Jul, 2009 15:34
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Hey Ghost ! Did that Sheetz manager who interviewed you have a comb-over, muttonchop sideburns and wearing polyester shirt and pants from the 1970's?
If this question ever comes up in another job interview just kindly say, "I'm sorry Sir (or Mam) if my shaved head is of an issue, but, I am young with male pattern baldness and this is the best haircut I can wear. Are you then telling me that your Companny discriminates against bald people? I need to write a letter to the editor of our local paper and bring this to the reader's attention." Geez Ghost, you are good looking, no rotten or missing teeth or warts on your nose, and from reading your posts here, you could easily cheer me with your sense of humour ! 
If the rest of Corporate America and small business use Sheetz Hair Guidelines, WHO WOULD BE WORKING FOR THEM ? --Stan
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#9 by TheSlyBear on 01 Jul, 2009 17:16
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Unfortunately, sometimes people have power over us when it comes to employment. You gotta work. So if you need the job bad, you need to decide whether it's worth your principles or not.
On the other hand, if you're in the catbird seat, I'd tell them to f**k off faster than they could possibly imagine.
What if you were naturally bald? Would they make you wear a wig?
Luckily, no employer has ever tried that kind of crap on me -- it would actually be rather unheard of in the software industry -- so I've never had to wrestle with that kind of decision. -
#10 by tomgallagher on 01 Jul, 2009 17:17
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Way out of line. Wayyyyyyy out of line.
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#11 by slyatlast on 01 Jul, 2009 17:29
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Shows what happens when brainless people get into management positions.
I would bring it to the attention of the area manager or whoever his boss is. I doubt that "no bald heads" is stated in their employee manual. -
#12 by Mikekoz13 on 01 Jul, 2009 17:32
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Sounds to me like that interviewer has reached his "Level of Incompetence"......
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#13 by GASlick on 01 Jul, 2009 17:46
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Out of line.
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#14 by Ghost1988 on 01 Jul, 2009 20:41
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for the record the guy was balding pretty bad on his crown. maybe he was just jealous of my shaved head haha.no but seriously........i think the reason he had a problem with my shaved head and considered it "an extreme haircut" is because he didnt like me (which he had no reason not to). if you know me in person im an extremely friendly guy whos polite and smiles A LOT. i have manners. for some reason though people still see me as "a tough guy". which is weird considering im only 145 lbs and 5'11" lol. i presented myself nicely too. (even for a gas station job!) i wore a nice polo shirt and khaki pants. right when i walked in though the guy looked at me and rolled his eyes like "is this guy serious?" all because of my shaved head. i dont know what he has against em. hes basically pulling the stereotype card by compairing me to a criminal or something since i shave it.
do you guys think i should explain to him that i shave it because im losing my hair? or should i not say anything because its none of his business? i know its just a gas station job so its easy for people to say "f*** him. hes a d*** you dont need that job". well the thing is i kind of do lol. ive had NO luck with job searching since the economy went downhill. ive been trying for months and that was he FIRST interview ive gotten. thats why its such a dilema.