I Mentioned That I Had An Recent Interview

[mj11051]

Telling me thanks for coming and she really liked me, however they chose another candidate. Then I asked her if she could give me some feedback on my interview and if there are so things I need to improve. She said maybe you shouldn't wear your hair so ethnic. I had fingercurls and I thought they looked neat and polished. :( My friend who works in Corporate America told me I looked very professional. :dunno: HELP

[~GAN~]

<span style="font-family:arial">Wow....that is messed up. I can&#39;t believe she said that, but I guess I can&#39;t really be too surprised anymore. I think its crazy that our natural hair would cause such a problem in corporate america. Its not really fair IMO.</span>

[Alastri]

i wish you had a record of her saying that so you could take legal action. that pisses me off.

[crmycoco]

next time don&#39;t wear fingercurls. :dunno:

yanno, just cuz you&#39;re natural doesn&#39;t mean you can&#39;t discern between "street" hair and "corporate" hair, which does NOT mean straight.

for example, when my hair was longer I wore twists, but NEVER to a job interview. pull it in a bun, or a nice shaped fro...or something appropriate to the job. it really isn&#39;t a racial thing...more like a conservative vs liberalism vs what kind of image we got going on in this here company.

;)

[mj11051]

i wish you had a record of her saying that so you could take legal action. that pisses me off.
[/b]


I asked her for feedback and suggestions she gave them to me. I wouldn&#39;t sue for her opinion. I just need a more professional polished hair. :( I asked her because I wanted to the truth and she gave it to me off the record, she also said I had great experience but her boss was really looking for someone with hotel experience and that was in the ad.



next time don&#39;t wear fingercurls. :dunno:

yanno, just cuz you&#39;re natural doesn&#39;t mean you can&#39;t discern between "street" hair and "corporate" hair, which does NOT mean straight.

for example, when my hair was longer I wore twists, but NEVER to a job interview. pull it in a bun, or a nice shaped fro...or something appropriate to the job. it really isn&#39;t a racial thing...more like a conservative vs liberalism vs what kind of image we got going on in this here company.

;)
[/b]


My hair is growing but still not long enough for a bun and I don&#39;t know whats appropriate anymore. This was a 5 star hotel, but I would never come in contact with customers.

[mwedzi]

I&#39;m sorry you didn&#39;t get the job. But I&#39;m happy she gave you honest feedback because it reminds us all of the world we live in. I don&#39;t know what would be more professional, either, frankly. Finger curls are the same as comb coils, right? I thought those usually look pretty neat. We already know braids and cornrows are too "ethnic." I&#39;m not sure how to make "ethnic" people&#39;s hair not "ethnic." Maybe a patted down afro. Not too big, apparently that scares people.

[mj11051]

I know and that&#39;s why I stopped wearing a fro. I don&#39;t know what to do with my hair and I&#39;m not going back to cfc.

[cutenappygrl]

Telling me thanks for coming and she really liked me, however they chose another candidate. Then I asked her if she could give me some feedback on my interview and if there are so things I need to improve. She said maybe you shouldn&#39;t wear your hair so ethnic. I had fingercurls and I thought they looked neat and polished. :( My friend who works in Corporate America told me I looked very professional. :dunno: HELP
[/b]

OMG - that is so wrong. But i&#39;m glad she told you what was up - you probably wouldn&#39;t want to work there anyway - they may say all kinds of crazy off the wall comments about black people while you&#39;re working there. Employers have the right to hire/fire you for any reasons other than race/gender/sexual orientation/age - so you can&#39;t sue over hair. Being in a union would be a good thing though - they can get you a job and make it difficult for you to be fired. But anyway - I have been wearing this cheap wig i got at the BSS for interviews, still haven&#39;t gotten a job though. But that&#39;s the only thing i can suggest - b/c if they don&#39;t like natural black hair - no style will be acceptable to them.

[Karibana]

Doesn&#39;t sound like you were rejected for your hair. Since you did ask for her opinion, maybe she thought she was helping you for a future interview :dunno:, I think that in her mind any do that involves you natural remaining so wouldn&#39;t be appropriate. Though I do sometimes advocate taming the &#39;fro for interviews, this time I say do you.

[gr2006]

no one says yt&#39;s hair looks too "ethnic" - i&#39;m sorry yall it just pisses me off. :Angry:

at the same time i kindof get what that woman was trying to say - basically the company has a stick up their as$ so you&#39;re going to have to have one up yours too (or at least act the part).

mj.......a simple puff. slick it down a bit in the front so it lays kindof flat and neat. you can wear it shrunken or pull it out with your fingers a bit. use a nice scarf for a band or dress it up a little with a fancy comb or hair clip.

[MzPurdyCocoa]

I definitely understand. I never really had a problem getting a job until lately. A friend of mine even told me as long as my hair was in a short afro she wouldn&#39;t hire me because she felt it didn&#39;t look appealing or professional. With me mainly going for server type jobs due to me being in school and home responsibilities it was kind of heartbreaking to hear it from a friend but it is what it is. I think I am just going to braid mine up and a get a sew in until its an appropriate length and try again.

[mj11051]

Gr it pissed me off too... However I asked her for the truth. I have done the shrunken for with a nice headband and the wig thing. Seems like nothing works....Now I&#39;ll stop whining :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[LBellatrix]

Was the interviewer black?

[mj11051]

No she was from the Ukarine

[gr2006]

well mj..........not out of ideas yet for next time.

how about doing a rollerset with perm rods or flexirods.

mj (excuse the un-pc question) - but did you see any black folks around there at all? if so, how were they wearing their hair?




i keep thinking of things AFTER i hit the post button :S

[bajanempress]

Twists are not professional? If my hair was loose I would wear twists in a bun rather than a bun or puff on loose hair because my hair does not lay flat or look neat when its out like that. I always have the fuzzy inch long halo of fuzz. So here&#39;s my opinion if someone is going to discriminate against you based on coils I am willing to wager that they would discriminate against you based on any natural hairstyle.

[cutenappygrl]

well mj..........not out of ideas yet for next time.

how about doing a rollerset with perm rods or flexirods.

mj (excuse the un-pc question) - but did you see any black folks around there at all? if so, how were they wearing their hair?
i keep thinking of things AFTER i hit the post button :S
[/b]

The rod set is a really good idea. I&#39;m going to keep that one in mind. And those are easy to do yourself. And i&#39;m sure you can find videos on youtube. Here&#39;s two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxcHbV_sDQo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z6UpMINNkA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8lXLJObyqQ&NR=1

[mj11051]

well mj..........not out of ideas yet for next time.

how about doing a rollerset with perm rods or flexirods.

mj (excuse the un-pc question) - but did you see any black folks around there at all? if so, how were they wearing their hair?
i keep thinking of things AFTER i hit the post button :S
[/b]



Funny you should say that Gr2006 I&#39;m making a setting lotion so tomorrow I can try my flexirods and I didn&#39;t see any black folks in the Accounting dept. :lol:

[avalonchocl8]

I&#39;m so sorry to hear that. I hate to say it, but maybe it was for the best that you didn&#39;t get that particular job. There is one out there for you. Don&#39;t let that discourage you.

I&#39;ll share this story with you in hopes that it will give you encouragement. I went for a job interview about a year or so ago. At the time, I already had a job, but was extremely unhappy. I walked in there with my short curly fro and dressed to impress. One of the first things that I noticed was there were none like me in the entire place. I sat and chatted with the receptionist about the company until it was time for my interview. The man who was going to interview me came to get me and I could see this weird look on his face. Not sure if he was surprised that I was black, my hair or what.

Well, I did very well during the interview. The next day or so the HR lady emails me and tells me that I was not selected for the job. I asked her for some feedback and she told me that I did an excellent job and he was very impressed with my appearance ... except for the hairstyle. She said I was one of the top candidates. I was shocked, but not upset because as I said before, I saw this strange look on his face when he greeted me. I thanked her and that was that.

So about 6 months ago, I interviewed for an internal position with my current company (very corporate America). And you know what ... I got the job and I love it!!

So, Sista, don&#39;t let that stop you. There is a good company out there just waiting for you to walk through that door. :)

[Alastri]

I asked her for feedback and suggestions she gave them to me. I wouldn&#39;t sue for her opinion. I just need a more professional polished hair. :( I asked her because I wanted to the truth and she gave it to me off the record, she also said I had great experience but her boss was really looking for someone with hotel experience and that was in the ad.
[/b]

Yea, what I wrote was my initial response. I took it more as that was why they didn&#39;t hire you instead of just her suggestion.

[Gacela20]

I&#39;m so sorry to hear that. I hate to say it, but maybe it was for the best that you didn&#39;t get that particular job. There is one out there for you. Don&#39;t let that discourage you.

I&#39;ll share this story with you in hopes that it will give you encouragement. I went for a job interview about a year or so ago. At the time, I already had a job, but was extremely unhappy. I walked in there with my short curly fro and dressed to impress. One of the first things that I noticed was there were none like me in the entire place. I sat and chatted with the receptionist about the company until it was time for my interview. The man who was going to interview me came to get me and I could see this weird look on his face. Not sure if he was surprised that I was black, my hair or what.

Well, I did very well during the interview. The next day or so the HR lady emails me and tells me that I was not selected for the job. I asked her for some feedback and she told me that I did an excellent job and he was very impressed with my appearance ... except for the hairstyle. She said I was one of the top candidates. I was shocked, but not upset because as I said before, I saw this strange look on his face when he greeted me. I thanked her and that was that.

So about 6 months ago, I interviewed for an internal position with my current company (very corporate America). And you know what ... I got the job and I love it!!

So, Sista, don&#39;t let that stop you. There is a good company out there just waiting for you to walk through that door. :)
[/b]

How did you have your hair styled?

[sandela85]

Um. No.

I do not understand.

I think this is completely unreasonable and blatant discrimination. Too &#39;ethnic&#39;? So the whiter you look, the more "sleek", "refined", "professional" you look/are? I don&#39;t think so.

If you were in Canada, I&#39;d suggest you make a Human Rights complaint. I don&#39;t know if they have something similar where you are.

[siennamoonshine]

I have encountered the same "weird-look" at job interviews, so I feel your pain. :hug:

I think non-nappy&#39;s have some ideas that are throwbacks from the &#39;sixties, ie. that when you come to the job with napptural hair, you are there to start the revolution and overturn the company policies. At any rate, now you know and you might make some adjustments to your hair, at least to get past HR, who basically try to eliminate people asap anyway. I know when I wore my hair in braids or twists, my friends in corporate America would suggest that I wear a bun or something conservative.

Keep in mind, this talk about race in America, which having a black candidate for President has opened up, is just letting the cap off the pot. There&#39;s a lot of stuff stirring around in there, and white America is really not prepared to address it as a whole. I think they are afraid they might have to give up some of the "perks" they take for granted in just being white.

Sometimes I wish we could interview blindfolded or behind a screen, where people would have to evaluate us by what is in our heads, rather than what is on our heads. You would think an employer would realize that a woman who is confident about her hair will be confident in other ways as well -- like in her job performance. :doh

Keep pressing on.

[cmesweet]

I had a 2 hour interview with a hotel that had not yet opened in the area months ago. My hair had been blown out and put in a nice tight bun. They claimed to be very impressed and would let me know SOON.

Afterwards, I sent 2 of my AA friends, neither of them natural (sleek straight hair styled in a bun) for 2 different jobs, my lil sis(age 18) for house keeping and my friend(age 27) for the same job as me, a receptionist. The house keeping interview lasted 5 minutes and she was told they are not hiring. The next day and for a few weeks after, there was an add that they were hiring housekeepers for that same hotel before it opens.
My friend who is not natural and is 27, is Afrocuban, however, she usually doesn&#39;t speak spanish. After she applied and addressed that she spoke more than one language, they continued to give her reasons why she can&#39;t work there.

After 2 months, I get a letter saying they found someone more qualified. I guess, since it is a higher class hotel, they did not want the foreign business people to see an AA as soon as they walked through the door, because the qualifications they asked for, I had and more.

That was about a year ago, since then I have walked into this building 3 times during differet parts of the day to see the diversity. Well, there isn&#39;t much. I certainly haven&#39;t seen any black people. Everyone is white, except the housekeepers who are Hispanic/Latinos. I believe that the JW Marriot did not have the intentions to hire any AA at all.
I think sometimes, hair is their exscuse. However, if someone does not want to hire black people, it does not matter how their hair is styled, they just will not hire you.

Also, I do not like the term "non-ethnic," last time I checked everyone was ethnic. Just another way to seperate people.

[crmycoco]

I asked her for feedback and suggestions she gave them to me. I wouldn&#39;t sue for her opinion. I just need a more professional polished hair. :( I asked her because I wanted to the truth and she gave it to me off the record, she also said I had great experience but her boss was really looking for someone with hotel experience and that was in the ad.
My hair is growing but still not long enough for a bun and I don&#39;t know whats appropriate anymore. This was a 5 star hotel, but I would never come in contact with customers.[/b]


it sounds like she was feeding you a line of ish then. offering an opinion that wasn&#39;t a factor just cuz she had an issue with your hair. as she had already pointed out, a particular kind of experience was required for the job, not how you wore your hair. if you had mentioned that in your original post my response would have been different.
i would have said you should have given her a Whitney Houston KISS MY A** salutation and be grateful you don&#39;t work for such common folk!

on another note: what&#39;s wrong with wearing your hair in a neat afro, mj? no offense, but an afro is the most neutral, professional and safest style to wear to a job interview. Why? Cuz no one can fault you for what you have no control over. It&#39;s your NATURAL hair. you and i have similar hair (yeah, i been all up in your fotki), and if i can wear a decent fro, so can you. in fact, ANYONE with natural hair can wear a decent fro. those who say they can&#39;t are full of ish and still struggling with idenity crisis. if you need to, get it trimmed, evened out, faded, whatever....only if you NEED to. And you do not need to pack it down.

swear to god, only people paranoid about natural hair are the natural haired people. <_<

in a word, your HAIR is the least of your worries in this job market! how do you carry yourself on interview? How do you dress? How is your vernacular? What parts of your personality do you allow to dominate you during the interview process? what are your skills and qualifications? are you wearing loads of perfume? Did you research the company enough to be able to ask challenging questions? Why do you want this job? Why should this company hire you? Is you resume neat and easy to read? Do you have a resume? Are you personable?
THESE are the types of things that should concern you when going on a job interview, nacho hair. :rolleyes:

ladies, i&#39;ve said this before and i&#39;m gonna keep saying it, if you project to the world that your hair is an issue, then that is what the world will project back to you. did it ever occur to anyone that all these wigs and extensions and braids loaded with fake hair look like disguises? lol....

It&#39;s a tough job market out there, honey. Having already been out of work for a month and half myself, I know first hand! Now I have one that pays more bling and offers more advancement than any other job i&#39;ve had in my life. and i rock my twa like nobody&#39;s biz. and when i get a baa, i&#39;m gonna rock that too! in corporate america too!

Keep your hair simple and focus on your qualifications. once you get the job, then you can go all spirally on the masses. :P

[curlycoilyfroily]

I&#39;m just not down, mj. On the one hand, I feel like eh, you asked, she told you, whatever. But on the other hand, I&#39;m so angry that this is even an issue and that we even feel like it needs to be discussed in the context of you changing to suit them. It&#39;s just so frustrating to me and we shouldn&#39;t ever be complacent about that, IMO. Who wants to work for a company that doesn&#39;t accept you because of your hair? Why are we still having this conversation?

:Angry:

Seriously, where do we draw the line? Do we cut an employer slack because they say our hair is out of sync with what they term "professional?" Or do we just call it what the freak it is (DISCRIMINATION) and refuse to stand for it anymore?

Just a vent. None of this is directed at you, mj, or any poster. This just makes me angry.

[firstladytj]

Unfortunately this is a chance we take being natural. The euro look is so engrained in our society that we accept it as the norm.

What God has for you is for you! ^_^ That one wasn&#39;t it.

[NappyMica]

Uhh... That is not o.k. She had no right to tell you that; it&#39;s discrimination. I work in corporate America and there are tons of natural women. In a thread similar to this, I mentioned I&#39;ve interviewed for a couple of positions (all internal) and wore "ethnic" styles. I&#39;ve worn a wash n go (it looked beautiful), I&#39;ve worn twist outs, twa and I&#39;ve even wore a bun. All of them were very professional. I think you can definitely wear twists to an interview. You can put them in updo and make them look lovely. I honestly don&#39;t see what the deal is.

[rlcarson]

Hey Sweetie, I am sorry that you didn&#39;t get the job. But, like The Sweetess Thang said, "What God has for you is for you! That one wasn&#39;t it."

You will be blessed with what he has in store for YOU.

Like others, I don&#39;t know that I would want to work in that company if they are so narrow minded.

What exactly does hotels experience have to do with accounting skill? Nothing in my opinion. It is all about the numbers.

I can&#39;t wait to see that roller set though. :-)

Nappy Love to you Babe.

[Cheleigh]

I&#39;m sorry you didn&#39;t get the job. The interviewer was even being a little "too" honest because I can&#39;t tell whether the hair thing was her personal opinion, or discussed during the evaluation process. I&#39;ve been a hiring manager many times, and while I&#39;ve never not hired anyone because I didn&#39;t like their hair, I have not hired people because I simply didn&#39;t like them, regardless of their qualifications. One time another member of the hiring team didn&#39;t like a candidate&#39;s laugh. :rolleyes:

I hope you keep your head up and just keep getting out there. I would always evaluate my qualifications, interviewing skills, and personality (whether they all fit with that particular corporate culture) before finally evaluating my appearance. If you determine that finger coils are professional on you, then keep wearing them. If you determine that they are a distraction during the interviewing process, wear another style. I&#39;ve never had anyone apply for a job with finger coils, so I don&#39;t know how I&#39;d react, honestly. I&#39;ve had bad weaves, buns that were too messy for an interview, long loose below shoulder length hair (which I prefer to see pulled back, just my personal preference), guy&#39;s without undershirts or proper suiting. None of those folks got the sandman just because of those facts though.

Honestly, I think the interviewer was just giving what she felt was a helpful suggestion (which may not be helpful at all). I doubt that your finger coils were the "only" reason they decided you weren&#39;t the best fit for them at this time.

[GalaxyGirl2012]

wait i thought she also said that you didn&#39;t have the job experience either /
sounds to me she was just throing in her personal opinion but the real reason you didn&#39;t get it was because you weren&#39;t qualified for it.

[GalaxyGirl2012]

in a word, your HAIR is the least of your worries in this job market! how do you carry yourself on interview? How do you dress? How is your vernacular? What parts of your personality do you allow to dominate you during the interview process? what are your skills and qualifications? are you wearing loads of perfume? Did you research the company enough to be able to ask challenging questions? Why do you want this job? Why should this company hire you? Is you resume neat and easy to read? Do you have a resume? Are you personable?
THESE are the types of things that should concern you when going on a job interview, nacho hair. :rolleyes:

ladies, i&#39;ve said this before and i&#39;m gonna keep saying it, if you project to the world that your hair is an issue, then that is what the world will project back to you. did it ever occur to anyone that all these wigs and extensions and braids loaded with fake hair look like disguises? lol....

It&#39;s a tough job market out there, honey. Having already been out of work for a month and half myself, I know first hand! Now I have one that pays more bling and offers more advancement than any other job i&#39;ve had in my life. and i rock my twa like nobody&#39;s biz. and when i get a baa, i&#39;m gonna rock that too! in corporate america too!

Keep your hair simple and focus on your qualifications. once you get the job, then you can go all spirally on the masses. :P
[/b]


i agree with this. throughout the years of being nappy i&#39;ve had several corporate jobs. one of my first was as an exec admin to vp sales of l&#39;oreal.. l&#39;oreal, people! there were people coming in and out to see this guy all day every day and there was never an issue with my TWA or my age (i was pretty young at the time compared to the other exec admins who had like 20-30 years on me)
i&#39;ve only once not gotten a job i interviewed for and that&#39;s because my desperation was dripping off me like crazy and because i went for something i wasnt qualified for. seriously when you fail to make an impression at an interview, you leave your potential employer open to noticing little things like how your suit jacket is a different shade of black as your pants, that you&#39;re wearing a little too much eyeliner, and yes possibly even that your hair looks different than what they are used to.

i&#39;d suggest everyone make sure they meet the requirements of the jobs they apply for (and not just well, i can make this experience look like that) and put their best foot forward in interviews. throw out the razzle dazzle of personality on an interview and they will be eating out of your hands. trust me ;)

[mj11051]

Thanks everyone for your comments, however I&#39;ve worked in Accounting for at least 25 yrs and I have great experience. I always research the company and I ask questions. This job was for a Accounts Payable Coordinator and that&#39;s what I do, this lady had a copy of my resume when she called me. I wore a suit to the interview which I always do. I smile and answer questions without talking to much. If you were to ever meet me you&#39;d know I&#39;m a very personable person and I have to talk to vendors and no matter how I feel on any given day they have no clue. I love what i do and I express that, I&#39;m also knowledgeable about accounts payable, monthly closings and the like. The lady I ask for feedback was the person who would have been my boss. I&#39;m not mad about not getting the job nor her answers because I know GOD and I wanted honesty so that maybe there was something I needed to change. She gave me some nice compliments and then made the too ethnic comment. I was glad she had the guts to tell me and now when I interview I can wear my hair in a different style. I&#39;ve been told before that some folks in Corporate America is just not comfortable with our hair unless it&#39;s straight. I will keep my head up and keep pushing because I know I&#39;m good at what I do and I&#39;ll find something.

[mzpastrychef]

Hey MJ

Im sorry you didnt get that position. However remember that everything happens for a reason and maybe that position was not for you and maybe there is something else in store for you.

Also IA with the Roller Set.

On the same note. I am in hospitality and have interned in several 5 star hotels and I am sad to say that some of the upper class hotels rely on image. Right now I am in my Hotel Management class and we were just talking about the images they want in their hotels. I have a few other naturals in my class however she works in the Training dept of a major hotel. she informed us she was demoted and was told it was based on her job performace, however a couple weeks later she found it was because she basically did the BC and was rockin a fro and that type of image is not popular at some hotels on the MAG MILE. Its really sad that it is this way .. But I do wish you the best of luck and if u need some help just let me know..

[GalaxyGirl2012]

now that i think about it didn&#39;t you post a thread after the interview asking if the style was ok for an interview? that&#39;s a little odd that you&#39;d ask that and that she&#39;d give you that reason.

did something happen during the interview to make you think there was an issue with your hair?

[mj11051]

now that i think about it didn&#39;t you post a thread after the interview asking if the style was ok for an interview? that&#39;s a little odd that you&#39;d ask that and that she&#39;d give you that reason.

did something happen during the interview to make you think there was an issue with your hair?
[/b]


Well GG it was the way everyone looked at me with a little surprise that I had my hair like that and he lady I interviewed with stared at it. I saw that and wondered to myself DAMN she&#39;s staring at my hair this might be a deal breaker. And that&#39;s why I asked her for the feedback because I wanted to know if what I felt that day was right.




Hey MJ

Im sorry you didnt get that position. However remember that everything happens for a reason and maybe that position was not for you and maybe there is something else in store for you.

Also IA with the Roller Set.

On the same note. I am in hospitality and have interned in several 5 star hotels and I am sad to say that some of the upper class hotels rely on image. Right now I am in my Hotel Management class and we were just talking about the images they want in their hotels. I have a few other naturals in my class however she works in the Training dept of a major hotel. she informed us she was demoted and was told it was based on her job performace, however a couple weeks later she found it was because she basically did the BC and was rockin a fro and that type of image is not popular at some hotels on the MAG MILE. Its really sad that it is this way .. But I do wish you the best of luck and if u need some help just let me know..
[/b]
Thanks Sweetie and this was a MAG Mile Hotel

[GalaxyGirl2012]

well thats different. that sucks though but the way i see it is if people don&#39;t want to accept our hair then we shouldnt be giving them our dollars. not sure if there are any boycotting groups or websites in chicago but it would be worth submitting

and getting that job was a good thing. if they would have hired you i&#39;m sure they would have tied to pressure you to be less ethnic :rolleyes:

[mimi]

My question is what is ethnic hair?...is ethnic hair the hair you are born with is it certain haistyles that are connected to a particular cultur. If thats the case than all white people and other folks have"ethinic hair" they wear hairstyles that are in connection to their culture(not including punk hair styles since that is a sub culture).
Why is it that black hair is ethnic hair. Our hair isn&#39;t straight so we style it differently. If i was on the phone i woulda told "sorry my hair isn&#39;t like yours so i can&#39;t wear it like yours". From the style u describe you wore. it seem very neat i&#39;m pretty sure it didn&#39;t look like Spikes on your head

[daisy14]

The fact that their using you hair as an excuse for not hiring you is an exuse. Some companies don&#39;t want to hire AA&#39;s, that is just the fact of the matter. They hire some to meet a quota, those bast&%$^! People have told me countless stories about this and is unfortunate; but we have to push forth and do the best we can. We must continue to seek education because one our biggest weapon against these jerks is education one less thing they have to use against us, not being educated enough. Our hair shouldn&#39;t be the issue take it or leave it is what I say.

[jemilla]

seriously when you fail to make an impression at an interview, you leave your potential employer open to noticing little things....[/b]

your appearance (hair, weight , race, ethnicity) also makes an "impression"..that can be a bad impression to the interviewer b4 u open your mouth




i&#39;d suggest everyone make sure they meet the requirements of the jobs they apply for ... and put their best foot forward in interviews. throw out the razzle dazzle of personality on an interview and they will be eating out of your hands.
[/b]

^ this is common knowledge.

people will discriminate if they want ...point blank
even if the OP did have "hotel experience"... if the interviewer thought that her look was inappropriate, then she&#39;s not getting the job.

[mj11051]

This is my bottom line I&#39;m not going to stop interviewing based on my hair. I have a great personality and I brang that into every interview. I had excellent experience and I&#39;m knowledgeable about Accounts Payable and other positions in the area of Accounting. I love me and my hair. I will try other hair styles and I&#39;ll pray and know GOD&#39;s will be done in my life. I thank all you ladies for your comments and advice it&#39;s always wonderful to women who understand me. I lubs all of yall :wub:

[hervirtue]

Unfortunately this is a chance we take being natural. The euro look is so engrained in our society that we accept it as the norm.

What God has for you is for you! ^_^ That one wasn&#39;t it.
[/b]


Couldn&#39;t have said it better! MJ, sorry you didn&#39;t get the job hun, but Sweetness hit it on the head, that job wasn&#39;t the one for you. It&#39;s a shame that you gotta be worried as to whether or not one&#39;s hair is too "ethnic"when going on job interviews. I feel as long as your hair is neat and you&#39;re dressed properly the rest should be based on knowledge and experience.

[NappsGalore]

-_- It&#39;s strange how &#39;corporate&#39; America is so out of touch with what the general public percieves as professional and acceptable. I&#39;m sure people coming into a hotel for service are not thinking &#39;Oh, I can&#39;t stay here, her hair is Nappy!&#39; :icon_headshake: It&#39;s sad that you may have to do this. I really wouldn&#39;t want to either, but I maybe next time you can wear a more professional style (whatever that is) and on your first day and day thereafter, come marhcing into corporate (white) America with full blown Napps!! :afro: They certainly would be in trouble after they hired you for asking you to alter your hair with heat or chemicals.

[mj11051]

:lol: :lol: I felt like that too because I would have never seen customers <_<

[mwedzi]

On the same note. I am in hospitality and have interned in several 5 star hotels and I am sad to say that some of the upper class hotels rely on image. Right now I am in my Hotel Management class and we were just talking about the images they want in their hotels. I have a few other naturals in my class however she works in the Training dept of a major hotel. she informed us she was demoted and was told it was based on her job performace, however a couple weeks later she found it was because she basically did the BC and was rockin a fro and that type of image is not popular at some hotels on the MAG MILE. Its really sad that it is this way .. But I do wish you the best of luck and if u need some help just let me know..
[/b]

:Angry: And Chicago is a city with relatively many naturals, too. What a shame.

[PrincessDrRe]

You got her opinion but her opinion can kick rocks and suck socks!

Sorry about the job. There&#39;s something else out there for you much better..... :wub:

[masoesa]

I am sorry to hear this. I suggest flat twists. They look very professional and corporate. Check my styles and find somebody who can do it for you in your city.

Every time something like this happens it surprises me. Maybe it it shouldn&#39;t but it does and I get angry. We got a long way to go.



Well GG it was the way everyone looked at me with a little surprise that I had my hair like that and he lady I interviewed with stared at it. I saw that and wondered to myself DAMN she&#39;s staring at my hair this might be a deal breaker. And that&#39;s why I asked her for the feedback because I wanted to know if what I felt that day was right.
Thanks Sweetie and this was a MAG Mile Hotel
[/b]

Hotels hotels. Who do they think they are? Do you remember the 80&#39;s case? A woman took the Marriot to court because they fired her because her braids were too ethnic. She said that she refused to alter her hair as a black woman. She won the case and that is the reason that braids are accepted today. Just thought you should know in case you didn&#39;t.

I don&#39;t know you but from what I read it&#39;s definitely not your personality and with that 25 years experience it&#39;s their loss. Cheers to you and good luck on your next interview.

[mj11051]

Thanks Ladies again I was happy that she was honest. Because now I the truth and I can adjust accordingly,but no CFC , NOT NOW NOT EVER AGAIN. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[bhop13]

Ok, I have a question.

If you wear your hair in a less ethnic hair style or wear a wig or weave for the interview then what happens after you get the job and start working?

They won&#39;t like it then and while they can&#39;t just fire you for your hair they can make your work life really hard. I guess I&#39;d rather someone not hire me from jump than to hire me not fully aware of ALL of me and then make jump through hoops 40+ hours a week.

[mj11051]

Ok, I have a question.

If you wear your hair in a less ethnic hair style or wear a wig or weave for the interview then what happens after you get the job and start working?

They won&#39;t like it then and while they can&#39;t just fire you for your hair they can make your work life really hard. I guess I&#39;d rather someone not hire me from jump than to hire me not fully aware of ALL of me and then make jump through hoops 40+ hours a week.
[/b]


See this is why I wore the finger curls, because I won&#39;t wear a wig everyday nor am I straightening my hair in anyway. My hair is already sensitive and I&#39; not doing nothing that would damage it. I take very good care of it and hot tools of torture would kill it and no job it worth that to me.

[avalonchocl8]

How did you have your hair styled?
[/b]

I was still in the TWA stage at that time, so I wore a freshly washed curly fro.

Believe me when I say that some people are just funny sometimes. Some hiring managers have it fixed in their minds what they&#39;re looking for in a candidate .. from the resume to the "look". I worked for a manager who wouldn&#39;t hire people because they didn&#39;t have "the look" .. regardless of the resume. He wanted "pretty" people because they would be in front of the public. So all of our associates were white, blonde, long hair and young. He liked to hire "eye candy". He was so unethical ... thank God he is now gone from the company.

So, yes, there are jerks out there who will not select someone because of their hair (among other things). Sad but true.

[FlyRob]

I do not believe your hair had anything to do with you not being hired. I am a Nurse, and recently went for a job interview in a predominately white hospital, with my hair in twists. I begin my new job next week. As long as your hair looks neat, you will not be discriminated against. Good luck to you.

[mj11051]

I do not believe your hair had anything to do with you not being hired. I am a Nurse, and recently went for a job interview in a predominately white hospital, with my hair in twists. I begin my new job next week. As long as your hair looks neat, you will not be discriminated against. Good luck to you.
[/b]

My hair was very neat I did it that morning and thank you

[masoesa]

I do not believe your hair had anything to do with you not being hired. I am a Nurse, and recently went for a job interview in a predominately white hospital, with my hair in twists. I begin my new job next week. As long as your hair looks neat, you will not be discriminated against. Good luck to you.
[/b]
Hospitals are a different environment than hotels. Very different.

[Alastri]

I am sorry to hear this. I suggest flat twists. They look very professional and corporate.[/b]

really? i would have thought that flat twists would be too similar to cornrows, and you know cornrows make you look like a hoodrat <_< :rolleyes: but then again i would have thought that a nice, neat &#39;fro would be okay...i don&#39;t think i&#39;ve worn my hair any other way to an interview actually.

i bet you could have a shaved head and you&#39;d still get the &#39;too ethnic&#39; :rolleyes:

[vincybushbaby]

i&#39;m sorry i really don&#39;t like that &#39;less ethnic&#39; that&#39;s way out of order.cause you go into some places and see people with pink fake dreads..pullled back yes but still and they work there just fine...man that&#39;s some bs...i&#39;m sorry you dodn&#39;t get the job but maybe it was for the best

[cutenappygrl]

When i told my mom about it - she agreed that the interviewer was probably a little prejudice.

[nappyeditor]

I think that different hiring managers, occupations, etc. all have different perceptions of what they deem Ok or not. A few people have said that hairstyle doesn&#39;t matter, but I have to disagree with that. I think it all depends. I hate to admit this, but if my mom had to hire someone and it was between a natural candidate and a permie, I think she&#39;d hire the permie, if all other qualifications are equal or if it&#39;s a close decision. The fact is, people look at things differently and the job the OP applied for - maybe they just didn&#39;t like it.

We can&#39;t generalize about a situation because others got a job with their natural &#39;do. Everyone&#39;s idea of neat is different, and though I disagree, some people (my mom included) think a tidy packed down puff is NOT acceptable for an interview. :dunno:

[natural06]

WTF!!!!!!!! :Angry: :Angry: :Angry:

[curlymrs]

It seems to me like there needs to be some changes to dress codes to include pics of nappptural women from this site. Can we make a portfolio that the hiring managers can look at and see that it is okay to wear twists, a neat twa, fro, etc. This whole topic has my heart hurting!

To the OP--What God has for you is for YOU! When he opens the door for you, there will be no man that can close it. No matter how "ethnic" they think you look. :)

[Fuesha]

Im sorry to hear this. But dont worry something better will come along.

I honestly dont believe it was your hair. It seems they just wanted someone with more experience in the hotel area.

Now what pissess me the duck off is the fact that this heffa said maybe you shouldnt wear your hair so ethnic. Trick what?! :angry:

My first thought was that it was another black woman hating, tell you this but its some d@mn american transplant bumping her gums! Whatever!

Keep your head held high and move on to something better. I trust that you know what is appropriate and what isnt for business. But im just not buying that nappy hair is ok for the corp. world cause its bull! How do I know cause im in the corporate word and it dont get more corporate than working for a bank!

When i was doing my interviews i wore my hair in a puff with some side combs some times. Now that I have the job i still mostly wear it like this but i have also had what i like to call relaxed days where i have wore kinky twist with and w/o extensions and other styles that i may not nessarly wore to an interview but are still nice. Also I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are many nappys at my job. Including the men:wub:

[KnottyAuthor]

Did anything work?

When my hair was your length, I pulled it back , secured it and placed a faux pony on top. hth

[bebedee]

MJ, just thought I&#39;d give you my experience.

I work for a financial services company as a financial analyst, and banking is still one of the most conservative industries there is. The day that I interviewed, I decided to wear a wash-n-go-puff with one of those scrunchie-looking headbands in a color that coordinated with the blouse I wore underneath my pantsuit. Normally this style works out wonderfully for me, but of course that day my hair decided it wanted to look lopsided. I poked, pulled and patted until I just couldn&#39;t anymore, so I patted it one more time, refreshed my makeup and went on to the interview. Despite a messy puff, I got the job and a much-needed $12K raise.

I was over the moon about it, but I had decided before I knew their decision that if this company decided not to hire me because of my naps, they were actually doing me a favor. This was the job and environment for me, and I know that very soon, you will find the job and environemnt for you. Don&#39;t lose faith and rock your hair like the beautiful cloud of kinks that it is, along with your experience.

[mj11051]

Thanks Bebedee, you know since then I&#39;ve had 2 interviews. The first one the woman told me she would call me on Monday, but of course I never heard from her but that&#39;s okay because the second one I had they called me before I made it home to set up interview #2. This is the job I really want, it&#39;s perfect for me. I&#39;ve been praying and asking GOD to let his will be done in my life. So after I go to this 2nd interview, I&#39;ll be working again. I just really feel good about this one and I wore my hair in a puff with a headband it looked neat and polished.

[mymy]

MJ, I&#39;m glad that you got that second call back. I saw your puff in the other thread and it was fabulous. When I enter the workforce I am determined to do it with my hair in an "ethnic" style, I refuse to wear a wig. I want a company to take me as I am and not how they think I should be.

[lavadava]

I think I get away with a lot according to my hair because my natural hair journey started with Chemo and everyone knows that. So when I show up to the office with two strand twist, or a twist out puff, everyone is just glad to see i STILL HAVE HAIR!! LOL! To corporate meetings eco jell is my best friend and I wear it pulled back in a bun. I have received many complements from African American coworkers who see me rocking a stretched puff one day and a tight bun the next. It is educational to them as even they do not know how versatile our natural hair is. I am known as the natural guru in the office and four sisters have BC'd since watching my styles! Its all about influence.

[lavadava]

It is not like that everywhere tho. At another job, many years ago when I mostly wore extension braids ( before committing to my natural hair ), my boss told me I was "too ethnic" for a promotion and I couldnt understand that and was angry. These days it is less common as naturals are everywhere in the media and more accepted in general society. So hold you head his my sista. Do you , and you will be respected by who the Creator has in His plan for your career! smile!

[PrincessDrRe]

I guess I'm about the most "ethnic" Sista up in my corporation with my lower back blond/brown/black locs and my "hip/fonky" headbands...

Eh...if you want me you want me - If you don't somebody else will!!!

[chachadiva]

It is not like that everywhere tho. At another job, many years ago when I mostly wore extension braids ( before committing to my natural hair ), my boss told me I was "too ethnic" for a promotion and I couldnt understand that and was angry.
You know that's illegal, right?

[CajunCutie]

Arent job interviews supposed to be about how qualified you are for a certain position? I think this is discrimination. Why should we have to change our hair to make other people feel comfortable?!?! It sucks that we still have to play these "games." Its not like you were going for a modeling gig where a certain "look" or appearance is necessary. The fact that the lady admitted that you were qualified and didnt hire you based on your hair is just WRONG in my book. At the very least, I would be talking to the local news stations..

Good luck with your job search, keep the faith...

[nappyeditor]

Wow! This thread is certainly a blast from the past.

[Denny]

Every time I read these types of threads I admit I do think what the hell is going on in the USA with afro textured hair...(too many) folks are downright crazy! Future anthropologists will probably describe the present status quo as afropsychosomatic'.

One part of me advices if someone is having an extremely difficult time finding a job where they are living due to napptural hair then put a wig on it, get your job, get money in your pocket then whip your wig off. (Unless you can apply to the NP social security system for sustenance lol).

On the other hand I resent that some of us have to go down this road due to the cultural ignorance of the black community which treats their own hair like an infectious disease so who can blame the American ethnic majority for not wanting to catch it!:-|

P.S wonders if the OP eventually found a job

[MzKinkz85]

Would you really want to work for a place that would say that? sounds like it saved you a lot of drama and potential lawsuit. If they can make negative comments over your hair.. i can just see the racial harrassment/ discrimination actions coming next....

[CurlyKutie]

No and I wrote that back in 2008 and I still have natural hair and now I work for black folks and they love my beautiful natural hair.