I am 53 yrs. old and have been unemployed for three months. I am trying to find a clerical position and have had several interviews but no luck so far. My question is, should I cut my long hair off to a shorter more conservative look? Every time I think about it I get sick :( so any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. I usually wear it up in a bun with some type of decorative hair ware. Do you think it matters whether your hair is long or short when applying for an office position? Thanks

Welcome to LL!
Personally, there's nothing that would make me cut my hair to a short trendy style. But then again I will be working for myself... however wearing your hair up in buns or twists looks very professional in my opinion and no one can tell just how long it is in those type of hairstyles. Businesses should be hiring based off your credentials not whether your hair is "trendy" or not. Good luck with a job it's rough out there. I have heard that making your resume look "younger" (aka leaving off jobs from 20 years ago fudging dates etc.) to make it look more current helps those who still aren't in their 20's or 30's.

Welcome to LongLocks, old giver!  I hope you'll post a pic of your hair for us!

I see no reason to cut your hair, especially if you're looking for a clerical postition.  As long as you look put together and kempt, it should not matter one bit how long your hair is.  Your bun with decoration shows you've got style and a sense of self!!!  Also, if cutting your hair made you sick, your interviews probably wouldn't go very well.

Thank you for your responses Tanai and Sakina. You're right, there is no way that I can cut my hair for a job. I guess I just needed a little reassurance. My husband is always telling me that I look very professional looking when I go for an interview. I love the advice on this website for hair care and other hair issues. Thanks for all of the hard work it takes in keeping the site going. :)

Hello Jocenea and welcome to LongLocks.  :)

Hunnay, I've been in the clerical field for the better part of 12 years, so I can tell you from experience that the length of your hair makes no difference whatsoever.

In all honesty, it might be your age that's holding you back from securing a position. Companies tend to look for employees who will be with them for a long time...not employees who are getting ready to retire.

It could also be a matter of experience. You may be under or over-qualified for the positions for which you're interviewing. Following up is important. If the company hires someone else, you might politely ask them which qualities the other person had that you didn't (keep it professional!), and if they could make any suggestions to improve your luck in the future. Never hurts to ask, right?

If it turns out that your age is indeed the culprit, there's nothing you can do about it but just keep looking. Something is bound to turn up eventually.

Best of luck and happy growing.

Welome to LongLocks Salon!

As the others have said - your hair up in a bun is a perfect style for a clerical position.  I see no reason why you should feel the need to cut your hair.

Job hunting in today's market is not easy.  You will need to make sure you stand out from the crowd as the best qualified applicant for the jobs you apply for.  Be prepared for the interview.  Know something about the company before you get there.  Explain to them how you can help them as a company.  Be professional during the interview (as I'm sure you have been.)  Follow up every interview with a thank you note/email.  

Good luck in you job hunting.

Tanai wrote on Sep 20^th, 2008 at 4:53pm:

I have heard that making your resume look "younger" (aka leaving off jobs from 20 years ago fudging dates etc.) to make it look more current helps those who still aren't in their 20's or 30's.

Eeep, never "fudge" dates on a resume!! But leaving off older jobs is a good idea - your resume should be current, and if your experience with a certain area is some time ago you've probably forgotten a lot of it anyway! ;) Plus, that makes it easy to figure out what to cut to get it down to that ideal 1-page format.

I personally think a bun should be ideal for professionalism, I can't imagine a short trendy look being preferable to any employer.  The company I work for is very conservative, so too trendy would probably be less desirable here!  

And welcome to long locks! I'm still pretty new too. ^_^


(disclaimer: I'm not in HR, and I make no claims as to being qualified to give career advice!)

Quote:

I have heard that making your resume look "younger" (aka leaving off jobs from 20 years ago fudging dates etc.) to make it look more current helps those who still aren't in their 20's or 30's.

Quote:

Eeep, never "fudge" dates on a resume!!

It was something I heard to do... :o This is why you should never take all the advice they give you on television.  ::)