# keep or get rid of beard for interview?



## mikeyny (21 Feb 2006)

I am going to be interviewed soon for a grade 1 position with the local council .What is the general opinion on an applicant with a beard ? From my point of view it should make no difference as long as i have it neatly trimmed .Both my parents and my sister feel i should get rid of it as "you wont get that job unless you shave off the beard " , my wife on the other hand thinks it does not matter . These positions dont come up for grabs too often so i dont want to spoil my chances. I am almost 40 years old if that makes a difference but without it i look 25 .
Mabey someone on AMM is involved in recruitment and could offer an opinion       
thanks 
mikeyny


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## ClubMan (21 Feb 2006)

mikeyny said:
			
		

> I am going to be interviewed soon for a grade 1 position with the local council .What is the general opinion on an applicant with a beard ?


 OK - you *are *joking right? _Disney _is the only employer that I ever heard of having a no beards rule and I think that they were forced to drop it a few years ago. Maybe the likes of _Intel _don't allow beards for engineers working in their clean rooms but I doubt it. Other than that I can't see how it makes any difference. Best case it won't matter. Worst case it will but then do you really want to work for somebody who draws conclusions about a candidate's suitability from the fact that they wear a beard (or not)?!


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## colc1 (21 Feb 2006)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> _Disney _is the only employer that I ever heard of having a no beards rule


 Are you serious they have this rule ??    On the original point beard is not going to make any difference in my opinion though not involved in recruitment unless you look lik e a down and out


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## extopia (21 Feb 2006)

Watch out for the "beardists"!


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## ClubMan (21 Feb 2006)

colc1 said:
			
		

> Are you serious they have this rule ??


 Yes I am serious but I don't know what the status of the rule is in any juristiction these days. See here for example:


> Controversy did arise over Disney’s strict appearance code, enforced in all its parks. The rules were
> spelled out in a video presentation and in a guidebook given to all new cast members. The guidebook
> details the requirements for just about everything one could imagine. Men’s hair must be cut above the
> collar and ears; no beards or mustaches are allowed; all tattoos must be covered. Women must keep their
> ...



[broken link removed]


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## mikeyny (21 Feb 2006)

If I was *joking *I would *not* have  posted it here. There is a section for non serious issues .​


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## ClubMan (21 Feb 2006)

Fair enough. I've just never come across a 40 year old who agonised over such an issue before. I guess you learn something new every day. Feel free to take or leave my *serious *comments above.


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## extopia (21 Feb 2006)

[broken link removed] is just one of many articles which suggest that you'd be better off getting rid of the beard. US context, mind, but things are not so different here, I would feel.


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## ClubMan (21 Feb 2006)

That article/survey means nothing in isolation. Just because employers might rank certain physical characteristics in order of importance says nothing about how these characteristics rank in relation to other, presumably much more pertinent/relevant, criteria such as prior experience, qualifications, ability to do the job in question, personality etc. Having a beard might be number 5 on my top 10 list of undesirable physical traits but if physical traits in general are largely irrelevant to my selection of suitable candidates for a job then it ultimately means nothing whether or not the candidate has a beard.


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## mikeyny (21 Feb 2006)

Clubman I will take some and leave some of your comments  but i wont agonise over the issue .


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## Brendan Burgess (21 Feb 2006)

It's actually a very serious issue. As a recruitment consultant dealing with accountants, I have spoken to people about the "professionalism" of their appearance. I have rarely seen a professional looking beard. If someone has a scruffy beard, I recommended that they removed it.

I doubt if anyone has ever been selected against because they had no beard.
I know that some bearded people would have been selected against on the grounds that they were unprofessional in appearance. 

If in doubt, remove the beard. 

Brendan


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## runner (21 Feb 2006)

As an agnostic on this issue, I think there is a public perception in some places and with some people that beards= trade unions= militancy, and you might come up against one of these!

On balance, better off without it I would think!


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## Humpback (21 Feb 2006)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> _Disney _is the only employer that I ever heard of having a no beards rule and I think that they were forced to drop it a few years ago.


 
The New York Yankees have a no facial hair rule, and a no long hair rule for players on their team.

Famous for having both, Johnny Damon this year had to get all cleaned up to join the Bronx Bombers.

Think the Florida Marlins have now brought in the same rule as well.


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## woods (21 Feb 2006)

Get rid of the beard. You need to go to an interview knowing that you are presenting the "very best you" possible. 
I have a bias against beards as I think they are trying to hide something. They may not realise it but that is how it comes across to me. I do not think that I would deliberatly turn someone down for a job because they had a beard but I think that it would colour my judgment. 
Just being honest here even though I know that I am going to get abused for it.


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## ClubMan (21 Feb 2006)

Where do people draw the line? Facial surgery for unattractive features? Diets to lose weight months in advance of an interview? Elocution lessons in case their accent betrays signs of unprofessionalism?

Does this mean that male _Muslims _are implicitly discriminated against a priori by some, most or all of the people on this thread? I predict a riot!


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## pricilla (21 Feb 2006)

Shave it off, go on go for it! You must know on some level that it makes you look untidy. I see no need for facial hair and I dislike hairy faces on men as much as on women.
I have convinced several men I work with to shave it off, and even the badly scarred one looks better without it!! I'm still working on my dad  Good Luck, hope the people interviewing you aren't as silly as me and they concentrate on your CV.


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## Janet (21 Feb 2006)

I like men with beards but it does make a difference if they are well-maintained (used to live in Germany, heard a lot on the subject at times!).  Lots of men look better with beards in my opinion.  

I'd like to think that one wouldn't be judged on this but it is possible (and you'll have gathered from some people's reactions here) that an interviewer may, perhaps even subconsciously, dislike it or feel you look unprofessional because of it.  

It may be safest to shave it off and then let it grow back after you know the outcome of the interview.  One point to bear in mind which you touched on above though is that you feel you look very young without it.  You'll need to decide on whether the risk of being thought to look unprofessional will outweigh the risk of being thought of as too young.  Of course none of this should actually have any bearing on things as it's your experience and qualifications which should matter however I think people do allow themselves to be influenced by physical appearance so it's worth taking the time to think about it.


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## casiopea (21 Feb 2006)

Hi Mikeyny.

Obviously its your qualifications and interview technique that will get you the job/not get you the job.  The one thing that might happen on top of that is, what you're feeling inside might get projected out during the interview.  What I mean by that is, if you feel (at a subconcious level)

- "the beard is scruffy, maybe I should have shaved it after all" - this nervousness could get projected out, compromising your interview

or

- "I wish I kept the beard, I look 10yrs younger than the other candidates, they arent going to take me seriously" again, while you are obviously not going to say that aloud, there is a possibility through mannerisms that this insecurity could be picked up.

I suppose what Im trying to say (not doing a great job of it), is these thoughts could create negative vibes.

Inside you are probably leaning one way or the other with what you are most comfortable with and that is definitely the right answer.   

Remember...if you do shave it off for the interview, you can always start growing it again immediately!

good luck in the interview (with or without beard)
cas


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## gar123 (21 Feb 2006)

i was offered a jb with a popular ameriacn car rental agency and was offered the job but then they mentioned they forgot that the policy was no facial hair

i had a wll kept goatee that was so short you could notgrap it

this also came after 3 interviews


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## Cahir (21 Feb 2006)

Personally I much prefer beards on men so if it was me interviewing you then that might possibly make me more inclined to give you the job!


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## Janet (21 Feb 2006)

Cahir said:
			
		

> Personally I much prefer beards on men so if it was me interviewing you then that might possibly make me more inclined to give you the job!



Yay - I'm not the only one!


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## extopia (21 Feb 2006)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> That article/survey means nothing in isolation.



Indeed. It is just one example of a well documented prejudice. Why leave it to chance, unless one's determination to fight against "beardism" outweighs one's desire to get the job.

The beard can always be grown back later.


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## ClubMan (21 Feb 2006)

gar123 said:
			
		

> i was offered a jb with a popular ameriacn car rental agency and was offered the job but then they mentioned they forgot that the policy was no facial hair


 Not even eyebrows/eyelashes?


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## icantbelieve (21 Feb 2006)

I hope you have enough time to shave it off if that's you decision, as a ravaged face or neck could look really dodgy, feel really irritated and you'd be hugely disconcerted during the interview. I'd also make my decision either way in plenty of time for you to have forgotten about it otherwise you are going into the interview somewhat distracted.


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## DrMoriarty (21 Feb 2006)

I say you should turn up unshaven in a Chuck Norris tee-shirt, fix them with a steely glare, and roundhouse-kick the first one that raises an eyebrow.  

[broken link removed]


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## mikeyny (22 Feb 2006)

extopia said:
			
		

> [broken link removed] is just one of many articles which suggest that you'd be better off getting rid of the beard. US context, mind, but things are not so different here, I would feel.


 
I lived in New York for 13 years up to last september , could be a factor?


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## extopia (22 Feb 2006)

A factor in what exactly?


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## mikeyny (22 Feb 2006)

icantbelieve said:
			
		

> I hope you have enough time to shave it off if that's you decision, as a ravaged face or neck could look really dodgy, feel really irritated and you'd be hugely disconcerted during the interview. I'd also make my decision either way in plenty of time for you to have forgotten about it otherwise you are going into the interview somewhat distracted.


 
After a sever trim this evening the average length is 3mm (it was about 12mm)but it will grow back soon , I wanted to see how low could i go as i dont expect to be going for interview for a few weeks and will look at different lengths for neatness . I am lucky i have a young looking face and good skin according to my wife.


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## mikeyny (22 Feb 2006)

extopia said:
			
		

> A factor in what exactly?


 
US thinking i  have lived there since 1993


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## ClubMan (22 Feb 2006)

mikeyny said:
			
		

> I am lucky i have a young looking face and good skin according to my wife.


Maybe the interviewers will favour older, weather beaten types?


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## extopia (22 Feb 2006)

Do your inlaws live in the US too?  They are doing most of the urging (apart from your wife), right?

Spent a long time in the US myself and it can be difficult to adjust during the first year or two back.

It's difficult to determine how much US thinking goes on in Ireland, but in my experience the corporate culture here is not as different as some would like to believe. I gather you are going for a public service job so that might be a different kettle of fish.

Bottom line though, why leave it to chance? Might as well eliminate any potential negative factors that you can do something about. If you get the job you can have a laugh about it later with the boss.

I wish you luck and please let us know how you get on.


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## extopia (22 Feb 2006)

Clubman, you don't by any chance wear a beard?


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## mikeyny (22 Feb 2006)

Family are here as is my wife .

that was the exact nature of my original question as i am not up to speed with corporate culture and in particular my US slanted views good or bad ,right or wrong .

The Public Service hiring pratices that i am not familiar with and Irish perceptions that i dont know about. I want to put my best foot forward .


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## ClubMan (22 Feb 2006)

extopia said:
			
		

> Clubman, you don't by any chance wear a beard?


Not a beard - just scruffy stubble.


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## Keizer Soze (22 Feb 2006)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> OK - you *are *joking right? _Disney _is the only employer that I ever heard of having a no beards rule and I think that they were forced to drop it a few years ago. Maybe the likes of _Intel _don't allow beards for engineers working in their clean rooms but I doubt it. Other than that I can't see how it makes any difference. Best case it won't matter. Worst case it will but then do you really want to work for somebody who draws conclusions about a candidate's suitability from the fact that they wear a beard (or not)?!




You cant have a beard in the Guards either


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## ClubMan (22 Feb 2006)

Strange - they have [broken link removed] representing them.


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## extopia (22 Feb 2006)

Call that a beard?


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## Keizer Soze (22 Feb 2006)

ClubMan said:
			
		

> Strange - they have [broken link removed] representing them.




I wonder is he a guard.

I must find out for sure


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## ophelia (22 Feb 2006)

start again


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## ophelia (22 Feb 2006)

Somemen grow beards for religious reasons.  Would it be fair (or legal) to discriminate against them.  Sikhs, for instance are the only group in England who are allowed drive a motor bike without a helmet, but then they can also carry swords with them at all times!! How would women feel if they were told they could only work for a certain company if they cut their hair.  We wouldn't tolerate it!


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## michaelm (22 Feb 2006)

Keizer Soze said:
			
		

> You cant have a beard in the Guards either


I always thought this was the case also, that Guards 'on the beat' (all eight of them) couldn't have beards, Detectives and Branch being a different matter.  Also I thought that Army Privates couldn't have beards.  I suspect that Firemen can't have beards.  Just say 'No' to beards.


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## ajapale (22 Feb 2006)

I had a manager a few years ago who said he would never hire a man with a pony tail. This was when such appendages were de rigeur among IT staff.


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## BillK (22 Feb 2006)

I've had a beard since my teens and have never had a problem; indeed, the last time I applied for a job was in 1976. Every job I moved to after that was as a result of being approached by an employer.


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## ClubMan (22 Feb 2006)

My job prospects and total remuneration have improved dramatically since I grew stubble. Is this correlation or causality!?


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## mikeyny (23 Feb 2006)

So the jury is still out . It looks as if it will be a hung jury , some people feel it makes no difference and some think it will. 
I do feel that if i had a scruffy beard that it would make a difference however now after last nights trim down to (3mm ) if it does not grow back and look good i would be better off without it , but the wheels turn slowly in the public service and i wont have that particular  problem .

Going to an interview with  stubble would be a big mistake as it would look like i was too lazy to even shave that morning and that would not be an impression i would like to give .


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## pricilla (23 Feb 2006)

michaelm said:
			
		

> Just say 'No' to beards.


I'm eating myself laughing! Good luck Mikey whatever you decide.


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## ClubMan (23 Feb 2006)

Lipotrim?


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## Purple (23 Feb 2006)

> Also I thought that Army Privates couldn't have beards


 But people with private armies often do...strange that.


> I think there is a public perception in some places and with some people that beards= trade unions= militancy


 Surly this would be a positive when going for a public sector job?


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