Job interview and beard

[TheDude]

Ok mustacians I have a big time job interview coming up. Its for a senior mechanical engineer position. Its will be a hefty raise if I get it. The interview will be with a panel of six men.

I normally wear a pretty trim beard (.25in, shaved neck). I really love my beard and think I look stupid without it. Also I am bald up top (I shave as short as possible since the only the sides grow).

What do you think trimmed beard or no beard

[RichMoose]

Keep the beard neatly trimmed and your neck shaved. Classy, modern look. It maybe was a problem 10 -15 years ago but not anymore I would say.

[Joel]

What do you know about the company? Do any of these people have beards? I really think it depends on the company and industry, and I don't know enough about mechanical engineer jobs.

[stlbrah]

my company required fully clean-shaven until 2 months ago. I am less likely to leave the company for a long time since they got rid of the insane rule

[Frankies Girl]

Keep it short and neat and dress nicely, and there shouldn't be an issue unless the company is ultra-conservative. Neatly groomed beards are not a big deal any more, but if the place is the type to ding you for neatly trimmed facial hair, you probably wouldn't want to work there anyway.

My husband has a full beard (he keeps it pretty short for the summer months, but might grow it out a bit longer in winter) and has as long as I've known him. I saw a pic of him back when his parents insisted that he needed to shave it off for a job interview, and he looked about 10 years old... and it was not flattering at all. Some guys just need facial hair.

[StashDaddy]

Beards are back, baby!   Keep it. 

[CowboyAndIndian]

Beard or no beard, just make sure to keep your 'stache ;-)

[catccc]

Definitely keep the beard if you think you look better with it!

[Chester Allen Arthur]

An engineering job?  Keep the beard.  Engineers have beards.

[JoanOfSnark]

as a MechE I can confirm- it comes with the territory. Sadly, I am a lady...

[Dicey]

On the off chance that the beard might be off-putting to even one person on the panel, why risk it?
You can always grow it back once you've got the job. Interviewers don't care if you think you look better with a beard or not, they want you to look their definition of clean, neat and industrious. A very short beard runs the risk of looking you were too lazy to shave, especially of the panel is comprised of older people. They don't know you, so they use outward appearances for clues. Sure, you "should" be hired because you're the best candidate for the job, but interviews don't always work that way.
To put it another way, it is worth that hefty pay raise to go without a beard for a while? Only you can decide.

[TheDude]

And Diane C with the rebuttal. I think I am leaning towards shaving but I'm still unsure. Asking my firends its all the liberal ones that think I leave it.

[jopiquant]

Dude - I work in HR for an engineering firm (SNC-Lavalin). I'm on the West Coast, and in Canada, which arguably predisposes men to wearing bears, but I don't see a problem here at all. You're clean, your beard is clean and well-groomed, you'll have a nice firm handshake and know your stuff.

If you shave it off, won't the beard tan line be a bit strange? Stranger than a beard, I warrant.

Good luck!!

[Dr. Doom]

Beards are usually OK as long as they're neat.  When I've interviewed folks, I'm more concerned about attire and the overall groomed look than facial hair.  One guy, for example, wore a cowboy hat to an interview and didn't even take it off during Q&A.  That just makes it look like either you don't care or you have a lack of awareness regarding how to look professional. 

That being said I agree with posters who mention that it's still a potential risk -- some people/orgs are biased against them, plain and simple.  Think: Yankees.

[Catbert]

Retired HR manager here.  Likely old enough to be your mother.  I think a neat beard is fine.  It does look like a beard though, right?  Not a I-forgot-to-shave-for-two-days stubble?

[GuitarStv]

as a MechE I can confirm- it comes with the territory. Sadly, I am a lady...

It's OK.  Women can shave too . . .

[Chranstronaut]

As a dissenting data point, I know one engineering company in my area that has a strict clean shaven policy.  A friend of my SO interviewed there and was told they had "a beard incident."  No details unfortunately :(

Every where else it doesn't matter, but like DianeC said, interviews are different than daily work.

[RapmasterD]

What age group in company? What industry? Last few companies I've worked at -- all tech -- had engineers on staff who looked like they were homeless, many of whom were probably worth many millions of dollars. Talent, creativity, proven execution, great references -- this is what counts.

[TheDude]

The company is large probably 25k +. There are about 1500 at the campus here. I am in Colorado so i am sure there are people who work there with beards.  I imagine most of the people I will interviewing will be in the 40s as they are all senior engineers.

[Spudd]

I'm on the West Coast, and in Canada, which arguably predisposes men to wearing bears

Just had to quote this, LOL.

[Trudie]

Maybe I have a thing for Stanley Tucci and can't help myself, but I say that as long as it's neatly trimmed and you otherwise look sharp, go for it.  I think it's important that you are "comfortable in your own skin."

[Dicey]

Whatever you decide, please let us know how it went!

[SisterX]

I had absolutely no idea that beard discrimination was a thing.  Seriously?  That just seems bizarre to me.

No advice, obviously, but good luck in the interview!

[SummerLovin]

Shave it, unless there will be tan lines that make it look worse.  You can grow it back.  I've worked HR and been on interview teams for tech company, most candidates shave, once they get the job they grow all the hair back. That's why you see beards and ponytails, and everything in between in the engineering ranks. It also depends on the environment, like if you'll have to wear face masks where the beard makes the mask ineffective.  Good luck!

[domustachesgrowinhouston]

My 2 cents. I've done quite a few interviews.  I honestly couldn't tell you who wore what or what hairstyle, etc, but i can name every one of them that had a resume that looked like they actually paid attention to what they were doing and look excited and motivated for the job; I hired them.  But then I have a beard, so who knows...

[Matte]

If its engineering for heavy industry on a site with risk I'd go clean shaven.  We require everybody even office staff to be clean shaven in case of emergency.  Anywhere with hazmat or a fire brigade probably wants clean shaven for gas mask sealing in emergencies.

[theconcierge]

If you shave it off will you grow it back? If the answer is yes, then don't do it.

If they won't hire you because of your beard you don't want to work there


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[LifesABeach]

If its engineering for heavy industry on a site with risk I'd go clean shaven.  We require everybody even office staff to be clean shaven in case of emergency.  Anywhere with hazmat or a fire brigade probably wants clean shaven for gas mask sealing in emergencies.

+1. This was the case at my previous engineering job. 

Also, I can verify that I have been discriminated against in engineering job interviews because of my appearance.  When I was trying to get an internship in college, I tried for several years without getting one.  I had excellent grades and generally seem to interview well.  I consider myself to be a good looking guy, but I had shoulder length hair, which people seem to have some biases against.  One specific job I interviewed for was at a chemical company where my dad was in HR. To try to avoid nepotism, I interviewed with different people at a different facility than where he worked. When my dad asked his counterparts how it went, they stated that they thought I was great, but some of the interviewers were concerned about my long hair.  I received no offer.

So, I cut my hair off the day before the next job fair, and promptly received an internship offer which turned into full time employment after graduation.

My opinion, if you think it could be an issue, why risk it?

[Thegoblinchief]

I look terrible without at least a goatee (as in, I look maybe 18).

Given how short you keep it, a goatee preserves much of the beard's appearance benefit, is more acceptable in conservative companies, and doesn't look like "I just hate to shave".

[Prairie Stash]

One caveat, it depends on the company you're applying to.  I work for several companies that have a "NO BEARD" policy. It's based upon safety requirements where you might one day need to don a gas mask, I was asked to shave upon stepping through the gate of one multinational. Lots of them hire engineers, that's why I mention it. For most people it's irrelevant.

Having a beard would make you look inexperienced in that case.

[Jomar]

An engineering job?  Keep the beard.  Engineers have beards.

Yes. This.

I work at a big engineering firm and am currently sitting at my desk with a bushy beard, haven't shaved my neck in weeks, I'm wearing a grubby t-shirt and jeans that have more patches than original denim... I'm not even wearing shoes. And I have wet rain gear draped all over the place because it was raining on my bike ride to work earlier. Nobody gives a shit. I don't think I could work at a company that wouldn't hire me because I had a beard. Engineers are too in demand for anyone to worry about appearances too much. And besides, engineers like character, no?

[TheDude]

Well the interview happened. I left the beard. Should hear tomorrow. Not felling overly confident but not because of the beard.

Oh and the 4 of the 7 had facial hair.

[domustachesgrowinhouston]

I dont suppose you happen to be an applications engineer with experience in industrial control systems, preferably drilling systems?

[Guardian]

which arguably predisposes men to wearing bears

/thread

Keep the bear(d)

[Peacefulwarrior]

Do what you feel most comfortable with. It will give you more confidence which will help you the most.

[Chranstronaut]

Well the interview happened. I left the beard. Should hear tomorrow. Not felling overly confident but not because of the beard.

Oh and the 4 of the 7 had facial hair.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!  Go Dude go!

[TheDude]

I dont suppose you happen to be an applications engineer with experience in industrial control systems, preferably drilling systems?

Im not but if the pay is right I could always learn.

[hybrid]

An engineering job?  Keep the beard.  Engineers have beards.

Yes. This.

I work at a big engineering firm and am currently sitting at my desk with a bushy beard, haven't shaved my neck in weeks, I'm wearing a grubby t-shirt and jeans that have more patches than original denim... I'm not even wearing shoes. And I have wet rain gear draped all over the place because it was raining on my bike ride to work earlier. Nobody gives a shit. I don't think I could work at a company that wouldn't hire me because I had a beard. Engineers are too in demand for anyone to worry about appearances too much. And besides, engineers like character, no?

This is a perfect example of knowing when you hold all the cards. Having great skills in a career with high demand lets one ignore all of life's petty customs.

I work in IT and am pretty confident I could land a job fairly quickly if needed, IT folks in my area are plentiful, good IT folks, not as plentiful . But I could never pull that off. Had I been in the OPs shoes, I'd have been conservative and shaved and not tried to guess what sort of company I was working for. As someone mentioned earlier, you can always grow it back in a few scant weeks (AKA first world problems). And if a beard policy is the difference between accepting a decent job offer or not, I'd offer the candidate may well have a list of expectations (reasonable and perhaps not so reasonable) that may not line up with the values of the company. It is a two-way street after all. I guess what I am saying is you won't really know what a company is like until you work for it. If it's huge, it's fair to say you can count on a whole bunch of rules and regulations a smaller, nimbler company might see as needlessly scripted and burdensome.

Beards are probably in that area where it really ought not matter but why chance it anyway if you really want or need the job. 

Anyone have an opinion on tattoos, just to get this thread out to 200 (and a mod involved)?

[Tyler]

They say dress for the job you want.

As a mechanical engineer in the product design industry, I want creative jobs.  When I interview I always wear jeans, never wear a tie, and proudly wear my beard.  It's part of who I am, and I like to advertise myself honestly.  I personally wouldn't want to work at a job that would take issue with any of those compared to my skills and experience, as that's a sign the culture isn't a good fit for me.

That said, if I really needed a job I'd do whatever it takes.  It's easier to be picky when you can afford to walk away.

[TheDude]

Anyone have an opinion on tattoos, just to get this thread out to 200 (and a mod involved)?

Ha I love your attempt a derailment

Tyler, First you have balls no way I would show up to an interview like that. But you are also right. Ive made the decision to start dressing up a little at this job. I am shorts and sandals guy but this is my first time in a big company and I want to have mobility. I want to be taken seriously so I am going to start looking the part. I dont know how its going to go but I am going to give it a shot.

I'm pretty excited I did in fact get the job (pending a background check). Its a huge bump in salary (30k or so) and should have more room to move up than my current company (25k+ vs 12 people). 

Thanks for all you encouragement and advice.

[Tyler]

Congrats on the new job!

[TheDude]

Awesome!

[arebelspy]

It blew my mind that some people said shave.  I can't believe having a beard would be a negative, or relevant at all.

I did get "dinged" in my last job interview for my tongue ring.

It also didn't cross my mind to take it out.  I'll show up and be myself, and you decide if you want me.

YMMV.  ;)

[Dollarbill49]

I thought all engineers wore beards.  ;)

[arebelspy]

I thought all engineers wore beards.  ;)

Especially old unix admins (grey beards).  ;)

[Russ]

my tongue ring.

wat

[fantabulous]

as a MechE I can confirm- it comes with the territory. Sadly, I am a lady...

I keep an inflatable beard at my desk for those times where I need the IT beard bonus.

[jopiquant]

Dude - big congratulations! It sounds like the beard may have been bear-y helpful.

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

I'm a software engineer with an unruly beard.  At one point last winter our entire engineering team was bearded.  I make my hiring decisions based on the merits of a candidate, not what they look like in the interview.

A little google stalking goes a long way in figuring these sorts of things out.  It's usually pretty easy to figure out who works in that department, and a certain percentage of them will have photos online.  Do they look like squares?  Shave it.

I had long hair in college and cut it to get my first out of college job.  It was the right career decision for that point in my life... but by now I wouldn't  want to work for any employer that would care about my beard.  I'd go so far to say that it's a nice filter for companies that are too uptight.

Beard, for reference:

[GuitarStv]

I make my hiring decisions based on the merits of a candidate, not what they look like in the interview.

In my experience, coming across this mentality at an engineering firm espoused by someone in a position responsible for hiring is like spotting a unicorn behind an Arby's.