Facial Hair and landing a job
Facial Hair and landing a job
Al right this seems pretty silly I'll admit, but it's a serious question that I have. I have a goatee. Will that inhibit me from getting a job? Would I fare better in an interview clean shaven?
Reply
Go with the Goatee. Counter intuitive I know, but in this profession setting yourself apart from others is the difference between being looked over, and being over looked. It can serve as a conversation starter in an interview, and allow you to make a personal connection and then branch that off into how you can add value to the school.
Recruiter: {Random Question} "Describe how you motivate students outside of the classroom."
You: "Well i grew a goatee, I started an after school band with students that really wanted to explore and perform THEIR kind of music and they needed a faculty sponsor. So after a couple weeks and their first performance I was told i didnt look enough like a band manager, and they suggested i wear sunglasses and grow a goatee".
Recruiter: [Smile[ "So what about the sunglasses?"
You: [Laugh], "In our room, I walked into the wall, when getting into the elevator when I arrived. Thought id have a harder time explaining the black eye, then a goatee. If your not out in the sun, you pretty much have to stand in one place and look serious about everything, which I learned is the classic definition of a band manager, but its for the students after all."
The heart of the interview is really about a school recruiter deciding if they like you. They already know from your resume if you can do the job, and if your still doing it after 2 years they know your committed, the only thing left is determining if they like you.
Recruiter: {Random Question} "Describe how you motivate students outside of the classroom."
You: "Well i grew a goatee, I started an after school band with students that really wanted to explore and perform THEIR kind of music and they needed a faculty sponsor. So after a couple weeks and their first performance I was told i didnt look enough like a band manager, and they suggested i wear sunglasses and grow a goatee".
Recruiter: [Smile[ "So what about the sunglasses?"
You: [Laugh], "In our room, I walked into the wall, when getting into the elevator when I arrived. Thought id have a harder time explaining the black eye, then a goatee. If your not out in the sun, you pretty much have to stand in one place and look serious about everything, which I learned is the classic definition of a band manager, but its for the students after all."
The heart of the interview is really about a school recruiter deciding if they like you. They already know from your resume if you can do the job, and if your still doing it after 2 years they know your committed, the only thing left is determining if they like you.
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy"]You: "Well i grew a goatee, I started an after school band with students that really wanted to explore and perform THEIR kind of music and they needed a faculty sponsor. So after a couple weeks and their first performance I was told i didnt look enough like a band manager, and they suggested i wear sunglasses and grow a goatee".
[/quote]
Sounds like me, except the sunglasses. I hope they don't ask me to wear a toupee!!
[/quote]
Sounds like me, except the sunglasses. I hope they don't ask me to wear a toupee!!
Thanks everybody for the replies. I think there is some good thinking here.
Psyguy: I think your post here is the most valuable by far. I really liked your concept of how to make it an inroad. You and I think a lot alike I suppose. Fortunately for me I'm nothing but inroads and have no problem helping admid know that I'm the right guy for the job. So I guess my dilemma is figuring out if my goatee makes me look so scary that I never get to the table?
Thanks for all the input =]
Psyguy: I think your post here is the most valuable by far. I really liked your concept of how to make it an inroad. You and I think a lot alike I suppose. Fortunately for me I'm nothing but inroads and have no problem helping admid know that I'm the right guy for the job. So I guess my dilemma is figuring out if my goatee makes me look so scary that I never get to the table?
Thanks for all the input =]
Advice
@ready2go
If your averse to risk, and want to play it safe, clean shaven is the safe bet.
There is more risk at a fair then in a Skype interview. In a Skype interview you already have the interview. At the fair youve 30 seconds to a minute over the course of two hours to convince a recruiter to give you an interview.
If your averse to risk, and want to play it safe, clean shaven is the safe bet.
There is more risk at a fair then in a Skype interview. In a Skype interview you already have the interview. At the fair youve 30 seconds to a minute over the course of two hours to convince a recruiter to give you an interview.
@Psyguy: Good response. I hadn't thought of it from that perspective but I like your reasoning.
My take on it is that it really does depend on where you want to be and how high you're aiming. In East Asia I always got the impression that better schools don't care what you look like as long as you're a good teacher, but lower schools needed you to fit in with their stereotype image of a "nice foreigner" (which meant no facial hair), even if you were the best teacher in the world.
In Qatar and the UAE I don't think anyone would care about facial hair at all. It's perfectly normal.
Finally, I guess it depends on how much you feel your facial hair is a part of you. If you really like having it and would grow it again straight after the interview then I wouldn't hide it. You don't want to turn up in August for your first day and be told that they'd prefer you to shave it. Show them exactly who you are in the interview. It would be a pathetic thing to have an issue about, I know, but it can be an issue for some and I think it's an interesting topic to hear peoples responses about.
My take on it is that it really does depend on where you want to be and how high you're aiming. In East Asia I always got the impression that better schools don't care what you look like as long as you're a good teacher, but lower schools needed you to fit in with their stereotype image of a "nice foreigner" (which meant no facial hair), even if you were the best teacher in the world.
In Qatar and the UAE I don't think anyone would care about facial hair at all. It's perfectly normal.
Finally, I guess it depends on how much you feel your facial hair is a part of you. If you really like having it and would grow it again straight after the interview then I wouldn't hide it. You don't want to turn up in August for your first day and be told that they'd prefer you to shave it. Show them exactly who you are in the interview. It would be a pathetic thing to have an issue about, I know, but it can be an issue for some and I think it's an interesting topic to hear peoples responses about.