new thread
Hey there,
I'm in the process of growing my hair out long. Its been 7 months since my last hair cut.
Anyway I started this discussion on Yahoo Answers about the concept of people using the pharse "You NEED a haircut". Now the term "need" is defined by a task that is required to be done or performed as a survival tactic. So I made the point that haircuts are not a survival tactic and we won't die off if we neglect to get a haircut.
But I noticed that many posters seemed to say that its a survival tactic in the sense that most employees won't accept long haired males as it is seen as unprofessional and it will meant that job opportunities will be a lot more limited.
This doesn't effect me really in a big way, as I have no intention of getting into any conservative type business employment.
But I am interested to know. Can longhaired males be successful in the business world?
Yes you CAN be successful in the business world as a long-haired man. Its just a matter of finding a company that's accepting of who you are and what skills you will bring to the company rather than how you wear your hair.
Out of my personal experience I have only ever had one company who had any kind of issue with my hair, and I only stayed on with them for a matter of months.
One of the bigger inspirations I had was a manager at one company I worked at that had amazingly beautiful classic-length curly hair. I had just begun my growing journey at this point in my life, and it was truly wonderful to see that yes, long-haired men CAN be successful, even past menial entry-level service type jobs.
Absolutely, men can be successful in nearly any job/career with long hair. It's mainly people with outdated thinking who only work at "conservative, clean cut" businesses who think otherwise. Personally, though, I'd not want to work somewhere that valued how I looked over my skills.
It really depends on the company and where you live that determines how forward-thinking the workplace is. As a general trend, businesses on the U.S. east/west coast tend to be more accepting than in the midwest/south. Europe in general seems to care much less about males with long hair, judging from the experience of the Europeans on this board.
I do not work in a business environment (I'm a Biologist). However, in my workplace there are other males in managerial positions and one guy who easily makes 6 figures with long hair. I live in a small town in the midwest, so I was pleasantly surprised. Science-based companies do tend to be more concerned with your research rather than how you look, though (in my experience).
There are also more than a few guys here that have great careers in addition to awesome long hair. Perhaps they will respond here.
-Dan H.
It seems things have changed since the '80s; being in a high-tech industry seems to help, too. I work in an office for a Fortune 300 company that depends on high tech in an outer suburb of Atlanta, which may make a difference.
I'll always wonder, though, if I shouldn't have tried harder earlier to find something--that's what should've been the best years of my life that I'll never get back because of my own pessimism. I just assumed there'd be no place for me, and that's never smart. Don't wind up like me--it may be harder, but it's not impossible.
Yes, in the architectural, engineering and design fields, I have met many gentlemen with long hair, some with magnificent beards as well. I now count myself among them (in the long hair aspect anyway) Many fields in construction have no issue with hair, so long as it does not become a question of safety. Tails, braids, and buns help alleviate this concern.
Yes! However many factors enter the picture when it comes to the business. I am fortunate that I was NEVER a part of that boring world. (To myself boring as a musician and composer.)
Justin~
No, not at all. We're all a bunch of losers here... which explains why so many of us have computers (LOL)!!
- Ken-the-smart-ass in San Francisco
Haha! Hilarious! You have a great sense of humour, Ken!
There's always Richard Branson. OK, he only has shoulder length hair, but it's not the typical business cut. He owns an airline and a mobile phone network, and also used to own a record company, all under the Virgin brand name.
Then there's the guy who used to be chairman of ICI, the big chemical company.
And the guy that runs Sun computers, and doubtless other computer company CEOs.