Protect Ya Neck/Can it be All So Simpl
So many times people have said to me "Mike, why don't you cut your hair?" and I never really gave the question much thought. I have long hair, I've had long hair for half of my life. I can't even imagine what I would look like with short hair.
I went for a job interview with Wellesely Information Services (wispubs.com) and I got shot down not because I didn't qualify, not because I was lacking in education and I didn't get the job because I was wearing a really nice suit. I didn't get the job because of my hair! Almost everyone I have told this too has asked me "Are you serious?!" I am most definatly serious about this.
My title would have been "Junior Executive Associate to the President". It would have been a sweet job where I would have gotten to be a globe trotter makin the big deals for this company. The Executive Associate to the President loved me, he was surprised I knew that WIS uses a modular software system and that I acually understood how it all worked. The President of the company loved me, he thought I had a lot of ambition and drive and was a deft negotiator. It was all roses and I was really happy about it. I got to meet the HR lady and I got all my stuff setup so that I could start working there. Everyone was afraid of the president of the company and asked me if I could deal with someone who yells a lot and I was cool with it. So far, so good, so...what went wrong?
I got to meet with the CEO, he didn't take longer than 5 minutes before he said my hair was an issue and that if I didn't cut my hair, I couldn't get the job no matter how qualified I was because WIS is a client facing company. Yeah...because long hair is so threatening and so non-professional. In all of my life, I had never felt so enraged. There I was, looking great in a suit, I have a great amount of experience and ability but it was all for not because my hair extends beyond my collar and to some...that is a bad thing.
I could have told him to fuck off but I didn't. I decided to use all those years of academic training and let the CEO I was no one to fuck with. I looked at him and said "How dare you have the audacity to speak to me in such a fashion. If I put together a great presentation or body of work, you mean to tell me that no one would pay attention to it because of my hair? That all I am is made invalid and void because my hair extends beyond my collar? This is madness and you are a fool to think my hair is an issue. I feel as if this I am black in 1950 in the deep south trying to get a job." he then said "this has nothing to do with race" and I told him "No it doesn't. It has everything to do with appearance and content of character. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am outraged and shocked. I have nothing further to say to you. Please show me the way out and good day, sir!"
After I left, I called my Dad and he told me to go back in there and find out their names. I went in there and I ran into the CEO again! I told him I was sorry for my tone but not my words. He said he was impressed with the fact I came back and I told him that I was doing what was right. So, he had me talk to the president of the company again and basically we debated for an hour my hair. Ultimately I won but I didn't win the job. I pointed out that he is going to Europe and that I know that over there he would be seen as a fat american. That would be seen as worse than having long hair. I also pointed out many famous people have had long hair and that we should never judge people by how they look. Sadly, buisiness is buisiness and they have no minds, no souls and no ambition. They lie to themselves and to everyone else when they say that want an individual. They don't. The more and more I look at this world...the more I hate it. The more I want to fight it to right it. Stay frosty, stay true to your roots.
I went for a job interview with Wellesely Information Services (wispubs.com) and I got shot down not because I didn't qualify, not because I was lacking in education and I didn't get the job because I was wearing a really nice suit. I didn't get the job because of my hair! Almost everyone I have told this too has asked me "Are you serious?!" I am most definatly serious about this.
My title would have been "Junior Executive Associate to the President". It would have been a sweet job where I would have gotten to be a globe trotter makin the big deals for this company. The Executive Associate to the President loved me, he was surprised I knew that WIS uses a modular software system and that I acually understood how it all worked. The President of the company loved me, he thought I had a lot of ambition and drive and was a deft negotiator. It was all roses and I was really happy about it. I got to meet the HR lady and I got all my stuff setup so that I could start working there. Everyone was afraid of the president of the company and asked me if I could deal with someone who yells a lot and I was cool with it. So far, so good, so...what went wrong?
I got to meet with the CEO, he didn't take longer than 5 minutes before he said my hair was an issue and that if I didn't cut my hair, I couldn't get the job no matter how qualified I was because WIS is a client facing company. Yeah...because long hair is so threatening and so non-professional. In all of my life, I had never felt so enraged. There I was, looking great in a suit, I have a great amount of experience and ability but it was all for not because my hair extends beyond my collar and to some...that is a bad thing.
I could have told him to fuck off but I didn't. I decided to use all those years of academic training and let the CEO I was no one to fuck with. I looked at him and said "How dare you have the audacity to speak to me in such a fashion. If I put together a great presentation or body of work, you mean to tell me that no one would pay attention to it because of my hair? That all I am is made invalid and void because my hair extends beyond my collar? This is madness and you are a fool to think my hair is an issue. I feel as if this I am black in 1950 in the deep south trying to get a job." he then said "this has nothing to do with race" and I told him "No it doesn't. It has everything to do with appearance and content of character. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am outraged and shocked. I have nothing further to say to you. Please show me the way out and good day, sir!"
After I left, I called my Dad and he told me to go back in there and find out their names. I went in there and I ran into the CEO again! I told him I was sorry for my tone but not my words. He said he was impressed with the fact I came back and I told him that I was doing what was right. So, he had me talk to the president of the company again and basically we debated for an hour my hair. Ultimately I won but I didn't win the job. I pointed out that he is going to Europe and that I know that over there he would be seen as a fat american. That would be seen as worse than having long hair. I also pointed out many famous people have had long hair and that we should never judge people by how they look. Sadly, buisiness is buisiness and they have no minds, no souls and no ambition. They lie to themselves and to everyone else when they say that want an individual. They don't. The more and more I look at this world...the more I hate it. The more I want to fight it to right it. Stay frosty, stay true to your roots.