ok, so here is the situation. i am a young inexperienced black male designer with long hair, newly graduated ready to find a gig. most of the time i keep my locks sheathed beneath a hat but occasionally i have it braided.
all things being considered if i were to walk in to your firm/company with my coiffer hidden under a hat or braided up, would this be a factor in your decision to hire me?
ok nix the suit (and i had this real nice searsucker 3-piece suit all polished up, i guess it is not to be…), wearing hats ok in the average firm/ corp gig/interview?
any place that wouldnt hire you based solely on appearance would probably be a place you wouldnt want to work, anyhow.
As long as you are neat, clean, and well spoken and polite, a little bit of a “different” look (longer hair, interesting clothes, etc.) in my opinion just contribute to your personality and individuality as a designer. i’d probably be more worried if you were so presented so plain and straight laced and looked like a insurance salesman.
Especially in design, i think some leeway is allowed. If you were applying for a position in accounting, maybe the braids would have to go…
still, i’d caution not to be too strange. if someone were to show up at my office for an interview all pimped out like Karim in a white suit, pink sock and ridiculous glasses with a fake lisp, i’d certainly consider cutting the interview short. (especially if it actually was Karim). ha.
Not to dredge up another topic, but also just be sure to keep your ego nicely in check too. Most employers dont want a headcase on their hands.
From what ive read of your posts, and seen of your work, Junglebrodda, i dont think you’ll have any probs in your job hunt.
Corporate firm:
Dress as you would a formal interview with a company. They seem to be impressed by that…of course, once hired out you should pop in with flip-flops, dreadlocks, and bermudas
Seriously though, each company/corporation is so different, but it seems that the larger the group, the tighter the look should be. There are still dress codes to be followed…
But as a freelancer, the beauty is that YOU are the employer
that basically what the majority of the advice i have been given has been, so i just decided to go ahead and lose the hair and play it safe at this stage in my not yet started career…rocking the bill cosby baby fro
big ups to everybody that hit me with some advice, shared their experiences, and kind words it gave something more to base my decision on…