new thread
Hi.
Just curious-I've seen comments about how long hair interrupted people careers.
My question to those people is:
do u think there is a way to make those 2 work?
I mean maybe some of u wear it only loose or grow it to midback+ lengths so it may not appeal to some employers but what if one kept his hair in pony tail and kept it rather short(shoulder length for example).
I'm not hinting people should give up their principles but personally when I'll begin working, I wouldn't want to come to a position where I would have to choose between better career and hair('cause I'll probably choose the career) so I'm intrested to hear opinions of people who had problems of this kind so mayb I can come to the best solution.
Adi.
Hey Adi!
Just wanted to let u know that it is possible to have long hair and a good job. I'm an engineering technician (I do a lot of computer stuff along with construction-the best of both worlds) and I keep my hair in a ponytail all day. I'm still in the awkward stage, so my hair isn't even shoulder length yet. I don't plan on ever cutting it for my job, though-they haven't said anything because I'm a good worker. That's all that matters.
It is easier to go into a job with long hair that u can tie back. I made the mistake years ago of cutting my long hair thinking that it would get me a good job fast. WRONG! I wound up waiting for 2 1/2 years for this job and lost my hair in the process.
Keep it long!
Marty
I am a teacher. I teach junior and senior high school, Latin no less. My hair is now shoulder length, and I wear it to school in a ponytail. I have been at it since October of 2000. No one has said a word about my hair. In fact, I was in the awkward stage when I interviewed for this job. I left a position of 12 years for this new one in the middle of the awkward stage. I looked like I really needed a hair cut --by conservative standards. I know from the way some of my colleagues look at me that they are curious. Some of the women tell me they really like my hair. The men are silent, though the boys I teach will talk and ask questions.
Robert
I was just curious, what do the boys at school ask you about? Also, why do you think the men are silent? I wonder why you would get any looks at all about your hair. Having shoulder length hair is not even unsual. It is very common to see men with ponytails and shoulder length hair. I am surprised anyone would even ask you about it. That is why I am curious to know exactly what the boys in your school want to know about your hair?
They ask how long my hair is when it's down, when I started growing it, why I started growingit, am I a hippie, etc.
As for why the men are silent, it's anybody's guess. Men, culturally speaking, don't talk about hair. Women do. I take it to be a sexist thing.
I wonder why you would get any looks at all about your hair. Having shoulder length hair is not even unsual. It is very common to see men with ponytails and shoulder length hair. I am surprised anyone would even ask you about it. That is why I am curious to know exactly what the boys in your school want to know about your hair?
What culture are you from? Longhaired men with ponytails are not common in the Deep South of the U.S. Since it is not, I think a longhaired man pushes some gender-boundary issues for everybody.
Robert
I was born in the United States. I have lived my entire life in New York. I am just surprised that in the 21st century people would STILL be shocked to see a man with long hair or a ponytail, even in the deep south. Also, dont a lot of men in the south still wear mullets? That would be considered long hair. So why would they be surprised to see a ponytail?
I don't think people are "shocked" to see men with long hair. What I originally described was, first, a workplace where no one has been verbally negative about my long hair. Second, I observed that many of my female colleagues spoke positively about my hair. Third, I observed that none of my male colleagues said anything, but I noticed them looking. Then, I speculated as to why they were silent. Perhaps I should not have speculated. Last, I observed that some of my male students were able to talk, mostly in the form of questions, about my hair. That they have questions, including whether I am a hippie, means to me that they have heard such things at home.
I don't see the mullet in high use here. People here mostly know what a mullet is from the same movies as elsewhere. I live in a metropolitan area. Perhaps one would find the mullet more commonly in rural areas. It tends to have a country-western theme accompanying it, popularized by some country music bands.
We live in a time, regardless of the region of the country, where conservative backlash is the trend. I think 9/11 deepened that a bit. Long hair on a man, unfortunately, is suspect. Clearly, for most of us, it is about doing something different, whether outright rebellion, or simply claiming our authentic selves, and everthing in between. Regardless, conservatism is about the opposite of being different. It is about holding on to what is. Latin--conservare--to guard, to keep safe, to protect. I know there are political conservatives on this board who have long hair. They, of all of us, must know that when it comes to their hair, they are doing something different from their conservative counterparts. And so, they and their hair will raise questions in those circles.
That brings up the question, of course, "What is a hippie, anyway?" There are several social groups that often include long hair as part of their "look", such as hippies, rockers, bikers, surfers, drug dealers, drug users, beggars, Sikhs, and programmers, and I've surely left some out. How most of these are defined is quite nebulous - like beauty, these classifications are in the eye of the beholder.
As a longhair you're apt to be pigeonholed into one of those groups depending on what clothes you wear, how you act, where you are, and what activities you do. Of course, some longhairs are not in any such groups at all, but people not familiar with longhairs will try to put you there, much as they will try to decide what kind of four legged animal each one is, that they see. Yeah, it's stereotyping, but that is how people deal with loads of information. Then, as they get to know you, they carve out exceptions to the stereotype and apply them to you one by one, until you are just "you". Strangers just won't do that though; it takes time.
If we made a list of a dozen or so "attributes of hippies", any hippie you find would probably only have about half of them. All it is is a label - if I had been born a hundred years earlier no one would have called me that because the word didn't exist yet, nevertheless I would have looked much the same. As longhairs in any given place and time, we are apt to be given a label that is current at the time for one of the groups that is often longhaired.
Some of us have long hair to embrace a label - for social reasons - but some of us have it because it is part of our physical body identity (not that we can't also have our hair for both reasons!). For those of us who have it as part of our identity, we are confronted with the decision whether to embrace one or more of the social labels current in our time, or not.
The label people readily cast upon me is indeed "hippie". I finally quit fighting it (though I never did with vigor), realizing I did have many of the items many people see as positive on their list of just what is a hippie, while not really having the negative items. I do take baths regularly, but you know, one can be a CLEAN hippie. :-) And that's my point - all these labels have positive and negative ideas associated with them. The question is, "Can you feel comfortable with any of the common labels given to longhairs?"
If so, in many ways it is easier socially to embrace the labels that others seem to fit to you. One day I said, "Okay, I'm a hippie. I grew up in the era when they were in the public spotlight, many of the people I ran with in college were hippies and that is still so, I love the music, I share some of the values." Now when people suggest to me I'm a hippie, I don't take offense, I smile. I may even throw them a peace sign, and they love it! Several times a year total strangers ask if they can photograph me, and when this happens it's great fun! This does happen because - they think I'm a "hippie".
Having a label turns some people on and some people off to you, but what I've found is that it is better to be "somebody" in strangers' eyes than a nobody. Some strangers are really turned on to me, and that never happened before, and in general I find strangers more relaxed when they first encounter me. I no longer come off as an unknown - I am a given. The world is way too full of bland nobody people, and being one wasn't much fun. So if one of the common longhair stereotypes IS an acceptable fit for you, go for it! It can be a real hoot!
Thanks for making sense. I've added some personal commentery...
I agree. I don't mind being classified with 'bikers' - I own 2 Ninja sport bikes. I have to say that in the sportbike world, though, longhairs are generally considered Harley types.
I agree.
I personally feel I look better with long hair than short. And I'm more comfortable with myself with long hair. So I guess long hair is part of my identity. If other people can't look underneath the scalp, then that's their problem.
Whatever gave people the notion that having long hair means one doesn't bathe? Personally, I prefer being clean to not, and wearing clean clothes to dirty. I think most of probably feel this way.
Is there such a thing as a politically conservative hippie? I seem to share values with both groups, depending on the issue at hand. I guess this means being of independent mind, which I believe is a good thing.
Agreed 100% on this point. And most of those nobody people seem more interested in their own little worlds than the broader world in which we all live.
Thanks again for the perspective, Bill.
I used to say that it was a guy with long hair.
Hey, that's me; however, I used to think that those on the computer were squares with short hair!
Maybe cavemen, perhaps?
But then again, it's how you wear that hair, whether it's straight, curly, etc., even WIDE (shoulder-to-shoulder), like Hagrid.
Hey, I do that, too!
VERY true. Not to mention the fact that some of us, me included, are skirt wearing guys. That's different too. Causes a lot of friction in the family.
-J
Well, I too, have back length hair (with a bit of a receding hair line though) and am a high school math teacher. Sure, I get ribbing every once and a while by my cooworkers, but all in all there have been no problems with my long hair. Most of the time, I keep it loose. It's only tied back when the weather is muggy (usually in September and June). I have been fortunate to work where I do and get virtually no grief with my hair (even with it loose and constantly falling in my face)
I'm an automotive design engineer with one of the Big 3. As long as hair is kept neat and clean, it doesn't seem to be an issue. I do have frequent contact with suppliers, manufacturing engineers, and finance people.
I have two engineering degrees (BSME and MSME) and definitely have a job that is classified as 'professional'.
At least 4 other engineers have long hair in or near my office area.
Have received some friendly jokes about emulating the '70s rock-band look, though.
Job performance is the most important factor with my employer. I would hope this would be true of all employers, but I realize not all exhibit such tolerance.
i sort of double over my hair into what appears to be a short ponytail which seems acceptable at work-no problems-it's easy and well groomed looking-and a cool look on top of it!!
A few weeks ago, I wrote on this board that I felt that mangement was more tolerant of long hair if it was in a tail. Another person agreed. Don't let this matter sway you from a career. I don't think you'll have as much trouble as you think.