Do you have to have straight hair to get a job?

Question

My hair is a virgin and I never had a relaxer. I was wondering, do I have to permed my hair to be ACCEPTED in corporate America? My work is acceptable and everything but why should I have to CONFORM? I have no piercings, tattoos, or wild colorings so....

DO I HAVE TO WEAR A PERM TO GET A CORPORATE JOB?

MY HAIR IS NOT GREEN! IT'S JUST A AVATAR!

Answer 1

Everyone is saying "no" ...i think they would like to believe that it is untrue that you must have straight hair to get a job.
Well the truth is that you don't have to have straight hair, but generally "Afro-Centric" hairstyles makes corporate America (and generally conservatives) squirm and uncomfortable.
Think about all the natural African hairstyles- cornrows, dredlocks, afro's.... any of these natural styles are associated with unprofessionalism and carry a negative stigma..
I do not think you should perm your hair for a job... AS India Arie would say : You are not your hair. and you should be able to rock any style and not be judged for it.
But for the sake of getting a job, I would suggest keeping your natural hair but maybe pinning it or tying it back or up....
Good luck!
PS: I don't get relaxers either =)

Answer 2

Corporate America definitely looks better towards you if you conform to what the average person thinks is a "good" hairstyle. Don't let anybody tell you differently. When I was looking, I was told to take my braids out. I did conform and relaxed my hair into a french roll. 3 months later, (after probation) I got my braids back and there have never been any problems. I stayed at that job for 10 years. You don't say what style your hair is now. Is it a big afro, is it braided, locked, twisted, a mohawk like your avatar? Is it long? And what kind of job are you looking for? You may have to look in a more artistic/liberal environment. You do not have to perm your hair, but a nice hairstyle, like a french roll, or a very short cut is cool. Do you think you can hot comb it the day of an interview? Ponytails are always in style and very conservative. How do you feel about hair extensions? You can get them in your hair texture now. Go to a salon and ask for help/suggestions. That's your best bet. And don't let them bully you into putting chemicals in your hair! Stay strong and believe in your convictions.

Answer 3

I don't know if you HAVE TO get a perm necessarily to get a good white collar job...- But a decent haircut is deffinately a MUST. Let's face it; Corporate America is interested in what your BRAINS can bring to them- NOT the statement your hair makes. And if everyone's looking at the guy with the purple mohawk, the competition is gonna have a field day! The business world wants conformity- & results.

Answer 4

I don't think that you would need a perm, the most important thing in getting a job are your qaulifications, and just look nice. Be presentable wear nice clothes, makeup, make sure your hair looks nice. Good luck with your job search.

Answer 5

Straight hair in the corporate world - maybe not. It's all about neatness. You can go natural just make sure it is ALWAYS kept very neat! Remember to always kept it neat and trim. Just make sure your personal style goes with your hair. Stay conservative, like you said: don't go wild with tattoos, piercings, etc.

Answer 6

Why do you think so? Thats a 100% no dear. Why would they judge someone because of the features they were created to have? That obscured. Besides, people have all sorts of hair, hair colors, sizes, shapes, and they work...I don't think it's too much about image, especially hair.

Answer 7

Of course not. You do need to have neat & professional help. But neat does not equal straight. I work in a pretty professional environment & do not have straight hair. I wear my hair natural(nappy). I wear it in twists or a twist out (taking the twists out & wearing the resulting waves) or in an afro puff. As long as you wear it neat & professional, you do not have to straighten it. And any job that says you do, is not the job for you.

Love yourself & love your hair.

Answer 8

of course not! they don't care about the kind of hair you have. they care about the kind of person you are as long as you look presentable i don't think that getting a perm to have a job is really an issue.

Answer 9

Absolutely not! If you feel the need to "straighten" your hair, you can do it the old fashioned way - with a straightening comb. If you're careful, it could last, at the most, two weeks. So if you feel you need to have straight hair to get your foot in the door, by all means, do it in a way that won't compromise who you are.
Good luck!

Answer 10

No...however, everyone, regardless of their hair texture, is expected to have neat hair. If your hair is neat, then you should be okay... I won't lie and say that hair isn't political, but you certainly don't have to straighten your hair in order to get a corporate job.