Will purple highlights keep me from getting a job?

Question

Im a college student in need of a part time job or internship. Are employers turned off by the purple? I plan for them to be subtle but i dont know how subtle you can be with bright purple...i plan for them to just be underneath my side swept bangs and UNDER my hair i DO NOT plan on highlighting the top of my hair just because id rather not be so outrageous and when the color fades i dont have to worry about a root problem...ps. my hair is black opinions PLEASE?

Answer 1

In a word, YES.  I have interviewed hundreds of people and have eliminated applicants because they had streaks and highlights that were not normal hair color.  Most employers want people who represent their company and present a competent and professional demeanor.  With the competition being what it is in the work place, you need every possible edge.  Purple highlights, facial piercings and obvious tattoos will not give you any kind of advantage in obtaining a job in a professional setting.  

As one answerer already said, it may not exclude you from working in a p**n store or setting of that type, but in most places it will get your resume put in the, "I don't think so" stack.

Answer 2

In society today, this is becoming more and more acceptable.  Although, with that said, I would have a very hard time hiring someone with purple highlights, just because it doesn't give a very professional appearance.  

If this is only going to be a part time kind of job, try looking for a job at a music store, or even some kind of retail where that will be okay.  If yo are trying to get an internship, chances are good that this will (even though it shouldn't) get you turned down.  

I would get a job first, then find out what the dress code is from there.  Good luck!

Answer 3

generally, employers are conservative, and want their employees to look good.  So unless you are looking for a dish washing job, I would tell you not to have purple hair.

For that matter, don't have purple teeth, or fingernails.

Answer 4

Um, well, if its an office atmosphere or a job where there is a conservative dress code, then yes, purple highlights will keep you from getting a job.  If you're looking for a job in a retail store where the atmosphere is on the alternative-side then you'd probably be fine, but otherwise, most people will pass.

Also - take out piercings and hide tattoos if you have them.  A LOT of hiring managers will nix you immediately if you have them on display while applying for a job or interviewing.  

Good luck, honey!

Answer 5

2 months into my new job in corporate America, I decided to do the same thing underneath my long hair, but with blue. The stylist ended up making it way brighter, and coloring way more of my hair than I intended. Then she didn't seal it, so it bled into my blonde highlights and turned them green. Then the electrician complimented me on it, to the CEO. It wouldn't wash out, and had to be colored over, and then the remainder cut out.

It was a friggin' disaster.

Take my mom's advice-- wait until you're at the job for awhile and KNOW what you can get away with before you do something like that.

What is more worth it: to get the experience of an internship or a job? Or to express yourself for a few weeks until the color fades out, and in the meanwhile give a lasting impression of immaturity to potential employers?

And it doesn't matter WHERE highlights are; hair moves and people WILL see it. Best case scenario, your interviewer doesn't see it. But if someone sees in around the office, and tells your boss, and they fire you for it, that looks WAY worse on your resume than never getting the job at all.

It's not fair, sure. Do what I'm doing, and get a tattoo no one will see if you can't stand the thought of giving in to corporate America just yet.

Just play the game until you're in the position to do whatever you want.

What no one tells you in college is that a degree doesn't entitle you to a job, and they are VERY hard to find. Don't make it worse for yourself, you're going to need all the help you can get!

Answer 6

Unless I owned a p**n store, or maybe a bar or book store, I wouldn't hire you with purple or jet black hair.  It looks weird, suggests you have some underlying emotional or social issue and turns other employees/customers off.  Don't be brainwashed by crazy liberal people who say that people shouldn't be turned off by this, or that it is wrong to judge by appearance.  That's not reality, and isn't the point of liberal people to let others do and think as they wish anyway?  If so, why can't people be turned off by purple/jet black hair?  Regardless, if it turns them off, they won't be able to control that.  Therefore, it maximizes your odds for success by having more normal hair.  Doesn't matter if it is just a little purple.  That only means you are slightly less off your rocker than someone with a little more purple, or maybe a lot less of your rocker with someone who has totally purple hair.