Question for hiring editors

this is something I've wondered about for a while now.

As my junior year of college was winding down, my sports editor at the college paper, who was a senior, was looking for a job. He had everything you need -- internships, knowledge, skill, great clips, was the best editor I've ever had, great references -- to easily find a job. The only problem was, at least he felt, was his hair. I'm not sure how long it took, but he had grown it down to his butt. He kept it clean and neatly tied off and didn't even look bad for how long it was, but he was convinced that he had to cut it off, which he did, in order to get a job.

My question is: Would his long-ass hair, even with his great resume and qualifications, have prevented him from getting a job?

 

At some places -- yes.

 

Just like any job in any walk of life.
Why should journalism or editor gigs be any different?

 

Image isn't everything, but it's important in the newsroom culture. Sometimes it's not fair to judge someone like that, and often looking the part becomes more important than doing your part. But that's the way it is.

 

It's important in the newsroom culture, but it's even more important as you're representing the newspaper in the community. A hiring editor usually won't be eager to hire a guy who has hair longer than Cher's, particularly if there's a traditionally-coiffed candidate with similar skills and abilities.

The trick to getting a job is to let talent -- not personality quirks -- speak volumes.

 

Sadly, appearance matters. Especially when dealing with a potentially uninformed hiring employer.

I'm ashamed to admit this, since I'm related to her, but my mother was once in a position to hire a young employee. Young woman with excellent credentials interviewed, but when she did, my mother noticed a small tattoo on her inner wrist of two dolphins. My mother interpreted it as a sign the woman was a lesbian and declined to hire her (this was for a private, religious institution, so unfortunately it wasn't illegal).

The long-haired friend may have come across an employer who believed the long hair was a sign of drug use or anarchism or any other misguided notion.

Sounds like the guy knew it was time to pony up and play the game. Too bad it's like that.

 

It has been my experience that:

a. Appearance matters.

b. Appearance seems to matter more to employers who aren't always as concerned about the quality of your work. The best employers will be more lenient about appearance if you do your job well. The worst employers, IMO, are the ones who think that implementing a dress code inside the newsroom will make for a better newspaper.

(Caveat: I think when you're dealing with customers, or dealing with sources, or dealing with the public, that you should dress appropriately. And I have always followed that policy myself. ... But personally, I think it's OK for people *who are only dealing with coworkers inside the office* to dress down more, under the theory that more comfortable employees = happier employees = better employees.)

 

He was going for -- and got -- a design/copy editor job at a small paper. Now, last I knew, he's designing the front page of the lifestyle section at a 180,000, so it's not like anyone would see him but his coworkers.

 

Shouldn't that be ass-long hair?

 

You mean design/"copy editor" job.

 

Explain this to me ... if looks matter, than how do most of us get jobs in this business? Is being an overweight, white male a prerequisite?

 

Stupid post.