Beard / No Beard?

[Lucky]

Fairly simple issue.

Job applicant has the lip/chin whisker combo which became popular about 25 years ago. It is almost completely grey, while the hair on his head, though receding, has remained mostly dark brown.

He is a finalist in a job search, along with a woman and two guys, all of whom are about 20 years younger. A big interview is upcoming. The applicant wonders if he should shave the whiskers because they a) make him look older by comparison, b) make him look stuck in the 90s, or c) are otherwise off-putting to a potential employer.

Any ideas/advice for this applicant?

[Roto Rooter]

[revo]

As long as it's well groomed, there should be no issue.

[chancellor]

I shaved my goatee once it went grey. Based on what I've been told, definitely makes me look younger. So if he's concerned about the age angle, I'd shave it off. He can always grow it back after he has the job, yes?

[Hornsby]

I'd shave it just to be on the safe side...while there should be no issue, there's no telling how an interviewer will react to facial hair. Shaven face is universally accepted as good grooming.

[swampdragon]

I used to work on Wall Street but as an interior designer (we were considered edgy). I always had a beard but used to take some flak for it. I told my son that Jews, troublemakers, hippies and intellectuals have beards (and I am all 4).

I would say shave that beard and grow it once he gets the job and also no silly facial hair - have a proper well trimmed beard - like it sounds like you have already - older looking isn't an issue - he is older
stuck in the 90s - not an issue
off putting - could be a maybe

[Judge Jude]

Unless it would be upsetting, I'd shave it.

Almost all of my grey hair comes on the sides when I need a haircut. So if I was on a job interview, I'd likely get a cut if needed, and that would accomplish basically the same thing - once I get the cut, almost no grey at all.

[baldgriff]

In my mind - you have made the final round of interviews while wearing an interview. You are what you are and facial hair is no indication of whether you are capable of doing the job. If you wear facial hear - keep it well groomed. Quit overthinking this stuff - be confident in who you are. Shaving it off when you plan to grow it right back again is goofy in my mind.

[Judge Jude]

actually that is a key point.
if the applicant already has been on a face-to-face interview, then I wouldn't change horses in midstream.

[Lucky]

Well, "the applicant" did a skype interview with the decision-makers, prior to making the Final Four, so they know what he looks like via skype. I guess that qualifies as a face-to-face, doesn't it Jude?

[TranaGreg]

yeah, I lean towards "don't go changing ..."

Of course all this depends on what the job is to some extent ... if it's for executive director of Burning Man he probably would need to get some quick piercings to go along with the facial hair ...

[Lucky]

Well, "the applicant" is a little confused now.

The decision-makers are mostly young, as in 35 to 45, maybe 50. The job is City Attorney for a small Texas city...not assistant or deputy, but the City Attorney. They are obviously serious, since they have had a professional recruiting team working on this since April.

The applicants meet with individual groups of decision-makers and key employees over three meals over September 29-30, with an final lengthy interview with the deciders on the 30th. Supposedly, they will make up their mind that night.

Confidence is not a deal.

I'm not sure about the looking old. 57 is old, but not dead. There is a possibility they will be afraid I won't stick around, but if I get the job I'll stay there for the rest of my career.

The off-putting is a little bit of a deal. But, of the six men, two have mustaches, and two have goatees. (I just learned that fact.) The woman has no visible facial hair.

This job is amazingly important, which is probably why I am over-thinking it before. Every time before now, it was "here I am, like it or not".

Here's an image of the decision-makers:

council.jpg

I forgot how to make this look bigger. Any help?

[senorsheep]

With the stakes this high, I would want any and every possible advantage on my side, no matter how small. Whether or not the interviewers should allow their visual perceptions to influence their decision-making process doesn't matter, what matters is that one or more of them might. They're just people, and can be subtly influenced by their biases, like any of the rest of us. If I'm going before a board of interviewers from a small city in Texas, I'm going to assume some conservative attitudes, and groom accordingly. I'd shave.

What is the argument against shaving?

[baldgriff]

Here's the deal.........

Unless there is some rule that says I cant have a moustache or a well groomed beard or goatee and I have been wearing one for the last x amount of time - its part of who I am and what I usually look like. If the job decision comes down to who has a touch of grey in a beard I honestly wouldnt want to work for that group considering that some of them have grey beards already.

Im not shaving.

As an aside - I have had my moustache from essentially the day I graduated high school. If someone demanded I shave it to save my job - I would likely say see ya later.

[johnnya24]