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
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?
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!!
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.
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.