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Hi, everyone. I've finished my MFA in Writing last year, and I haven't been able to land a steady job in the meantime. Much of that time, however, I have been involved with things that would look good on my resume, such as a publishing internship, applying to various schools to pursue a PhD., attending a novel writer's conference in San Francisco, a Writer's Residency in Martha's Vineyard, and taking the GRE subject test in Literature. However, I'm to resume my job hunt at a more steady pace this time, while I continue to work on my writing.
Currently, my hair is long--past my shoulders. I comb and wash it every day, and I always tie it back into a ponytail during work, interviews or on occasions where I need to look slightly less than casual. Though I held supermarket job during the years in which it grew out, I was also been hired as a Writing Coach at my old college and a driver's assistant for UPS during the winter.
Additionally, I've grown a full beard in the meantime, so I'm sort of sporting a 'Jesus' look. He seems to think this is acceptable, but some other people feel it is more of a job killer (UPS, for example, required that I shave, though they didn't care about my hair length). Personally, I feel much better about my own appearance now than I ever have. I absolutely hate the way that I used to look whilst clean shaven and with short hair. I think this new look suits me as an artist, but my father is absolutely convinced that I won't be hired anywhere looking the way that I do (he seems to think it's the equivalent of a facial piercing or tattoo on the neck), and that I need to present myself as more 'saleable'. I think he's extremely narrow-minded and judgmental anyway (since he consistently ignores the stories I tell him about my male friends and peers who have always hair longer than mine and currently hold down professional jobs), and a bit out of touch with the job hunting process these days.
For instance, he seems to think that I should be getting up early every morning and going door-to-door to every local business and asking for a job. I have done this in the past, and it has very poor success rates. We live in a small town with a few local businesses that ignored me when I came to them with short hair. I doubt any of them would care about my MFA in Writing or the 4 years experience I have editing literary journals and reading submissions. Now I'm mostly conducting my job search online, through Higher Ed Jobs and similar venues, and only recently have I gotten any attention. I've come to understand that the days where you can just walk into an establishment and be hired on the spot are virtually over. The best job hunting strategy seems to be knowing where to apply, and persistence.
I think that my appearance and hair length, if it is maintained, should be fine for the sort of job niche that would actually hire me, but my father still won't get off my case about it. He says he's embarrassed that I wear T-shirts as well--as if I would go to any interview like this. Am I just delusional?
I guess I should ask if there is any official consensus that employers have about long hair on men. It is really an interview killer, or does it just depend on the job?
Currently, my hair is long--past my shoulders. I comb and wash it every day, and I always tie it back into a ponytail during work, interviews or on occasions where I need to look slightly less than casual. Though I held supermarket job during the years in which it grew out, I was also been hired as a Writing Coach at my old college and a driver's assistant for UPS during the winter.
Additionally, I've grown a full beard in the meantime, so I'm sort of sporting a 'Jesus' look. He seems to think this is acceptable, but some other people feel it is more of a job killer (UPS, for example, required that I shave, though they didn't care about my hair length). Personally, I feel much better about my own appearance now than I ever have. I absolutely hate the way that I used to look whilst clean shaven and with short hair. I think this new look suits me as an artist, but my father is absolutely convinced that I won't be hired anywhere looking the way that I do (he seems to think it's the equivalent of a facial piercing or tattoo on the neck), and that I need to present myself as more 'saleable'. I think he's extremely narrow-minded and judgmental anyway (since he consistently ignores the stories I tell him about my male friends and peers who have always hair longer than mine and currently hold down professional jobs), and a bit out of touch with the job hunting process these days.
For instance, he seems to think that I should be getting up early every morning and going door-to-door to every local business and asking for a job. I have done this in the past, and it has very poor success rates. We live in a small town with a few local businesses that ignored me when I came to them with short hair. I doubt any of them would care about my MFA in Writing or the 4 years experience I have editing literary journals and reading submissions. Now I'm mostly conducting my job search online, through Higher Ed Jobs and similar venues, and only recently have I gotten any attention. I've come to understand that the days where you can just walk into an establishment and be hired on the spot are virtually over. The best job hunting strategy seems to be knowing where to apply, and persistence.
I think that my appearance and hair length, if it is maintained, should be fine for the sort of job niche that would actually hire me, but my father still won't get off my case about it. He says he's embarrassed that I wear T-shirts as well--as if I would go to any interview like this. Am I just delusional?
I guess I should ask if there is any official consensus that employers have about long hair on men. It is really an interview killer, or does it just depend on the job?
