The International Schools Review Forum

Hey everyone, long time lurker first time poster. I'm submitting my applications and paperwork for the 2018-19 school year for international schools and I had a question regarding men's beards. I'm in my late 20s and I have a well groomed beard at the moment, no more than 1/4 inch in length. Seeing as I have to place a picture on my CV, and on most profiles online for job searches, and will be Skype interviewing presumably, would it be best if I go clean shaven? I am mostly looking for positions in the southeast/east Asia region and I have read in other forums that having a beard may be off putting to some employers and as much as I like my beard, I would rather it not be a focus when my credentials, experience, and personality are what really matter. Just wanted to see what all of your experiences are regarding this. First world problems right?

Half the guys at my school have big, lustrous beards. Some are super long too. I would just keep it nicely groomed for interviews but then if it grows wild after, whatever!

"...in the southeast/east Asia region and I have read in other forums that having a beard may be off putting to some employers and as much as I like my beard, I would rather it not be a focus when my credentials, experience, and personality are what really matter. " LOL you mean other than having to put your picture on your resume? haha j/k

this is a big generalization but in my experience with asian schools, if the person who is hiring you is a local it's true they may not like facial hair very much. otherwise, if it's at an international school with other foreign teachers no one will really care that much. it's pretty normal, and if there are other men in the school they are bound to have some facial hair at some point. when i worked in an asian country, the person hiring me was a local and almost expected me to have a beard since i was from canada! (i was like you read that facial hair was frowned upon, went clean shaven, got the job, and proceeded to grizzly adams it up for the next two years).

anyways, if it's a tamed beard a la chuck norris, no worries. if it's a keanu reeves, shave it please. if it's a duck dynasty, you might have an issue anywhere you interview.

good luck!

v.

My general observation has been that most recruiters won't care about a well-groomed short beard. But some will.
Which is why I recommend that anyone who is looking for a job consider going beardless for recruiting season. You can always grow it again after contracts are signed. But why miss out on a potential good job because of someone else's silly unconscious bias? True, the recruiter should be above that sort of nonsense. But if they aren't, it's you who are missing out on a good job. They'll find someone else and never think twice.

What is your risk aversion profile? How many opportunities are you willing to lose out on based on a recruiter/leaderships preferences or policy?
I have yet to hear of an IT candidate that lost an opportunity because they went the clean cut conservative approach on appearance. There are recruiters and leadership that either have a grooming/dress code policy or they have an image preference that a beard would be a negative or prohibited.

Also understand that ISs do have policies about professional appearance and facial hair of any type may well be prohibited. You may not be able to grow it back later once you have the appointment. One question I advise asking during the interview is of any policies effecting personal appearance.

For some recruiters/leadership its not a choice, regardless of their personal feelings, some ownership wants to cultivate a certain look for their staff, and have strict polices of what you can wear and look like. This more often comes up regarding tattoos, etc. but wouldnt preclude facial hair or hair style.

Lots of my colleagues have beards from goatees to rather full beards. I've worked at two good schools serving international students in China and it hasn't been an issue at either places. Both places had foreigners hiring people. In thinking about friends of mine at other schools that have facial hair, it's pretty widespread. I guess it's possible you could come across a recruiter who had a strong dislike of hiring teachers with facial hair, it seems unlikely to me.

The comments from Chinese people about my beard have usually been from female friends who think I should shave so I look younger.

I'm more surprised at how many of my colleagues (men and women) have lots of visible tattoos. This is true at both schools I've worked at here. Given that our population of parents is fairly heavily of East Asian origin, I've been a bit surprised that it's not a bigger issue. In China, there are lots more young Chinese people with tattoos than there used to be although they still seem to be less common in highly visible areas with young professionals.

Good luck with your job search.

Eion

I am going for the full Gandalf but when I am looking for work I trim it, go for a goatee/van Dyke or go clean shaven (it makes me look younger). However, I once applied for a job with a bearded photo on my CV but for the interview I was clean shaven and the recruiter said they had hoped to see what they called my magnificent beard!

Thank you all for the beard advise! Let's hope the remainder of this school year's issues are just as trivial!

I want to add to my earlier response that since you are under 30 a beard would be ok. My feeling though is that if you are job hunting and over 40 a beard might make you look too old - and I have been told that in Asia schools prefer you clean shaven. When I am clean shaven it's a sure sign I am job hunting. Once I am in a job since my usual day starts at an ungodly 5am or earlier the beard gets grown to save me time. Plus I get to apply some beard balm.

Thanks for the advice, I'm hoping I can keep it, already applying so hopefully it won't cause issue!

I never shave clean. Every couple of weeks I trim so that it's stubble. None of my schools have had issues with this. I hate shaving; my skin would look worse than the beard if I went clean!

@seinfeld

Stubble isnt a beard, its some facial shadow vs. Grizzly Adams, thats an order of magnitude difference.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @seinfeld
>
> Stubble isnt a beard, its some facial shadow vs. Grizzly Adams, thats an order of
> magnitude difference.

I'm one hairy man though. My stubble is another guy's beard!

along similar lines, how many of you and your schools teachers/admin take part in movember, either formally or informally?

i've done it at every school i've been at and generally been received well.

how about you? you guys grow lip sweaters in november? not allowed to? lol.

v.

@seinfeld

Fair enough

@vandsmith

Never experienced it, never even heard of it until your post.