Employment related question - Dreadlocks

[Diver0001]

(Pls move if in the wrong section I was unsure where to post as employment section is unavailable for such questions)

I am currently a DM and studying to go upto IDC staff instructor with trimix gas blending. I want to get dreadlocks but unsure whether the stigma attached to the hairstlye would affect my possibilities for employment. Is this a realistic threat to employment.

If your personal hygiene is good then the dread locks aren't going to raise too many eyebrows where I live. In fact, I'd say it's a selling point for a shop that wants to attract a young clientele.

In Europe I'd say your changes of getting discriminated against for the way you keep you hair would be a lot lower than it is in the states. Around here people care, for the most part, much more about what you can do, not what you look like.

Professionalism is the key though. If your employer sees you doing good work, being on time, alert, energetic, intelligent and secure in your work then you'll be fine. If they start to think that the hair goes with a "stoner/slacker" attitude and you don't show the professionalism then you'll get out what you put in.

Speaking for myself. I would hire you if I thought you would be an asset to my team based on what you can do and your previous employer's recommendations. If you turned out to be a loser during your trial-period, I'd can you just as quickly. And I would do exactly the same, rasta-hair or all-American. The "clean cut" look wouldn't buy anyone any favours from me. I'm all about what makes the team work.

Judging from the other responses, though, I think you can see that there are a lot of anally-puckered people out there who would disagree with me because if their superficial prejudices.

Of course, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about those people. You don't want to work for them anymore than they want you.

R..

 

[RJP]

One day someone will scream discrimination if they are not qualified for the job.

Yup, and apparently that day was this past Tuesday:

Adverts for 'reliable workers' banned as discriminatory

 

[RJP]

Dreadlocks and a BPW and long hose setup with wrist mounted gauges? You are hired!

To: Jim Lapenta
From: George Clinton
Subject: Start date?

Mr. Lapenta,

My friend RJP has forwarded your offer of employment, and I am pleased to accept the position. I will need a few days to take delivery of the Halcyon rig and Vytec DS that RJP kindly offered to lend me, but can be available to begin work as soon as I get them.

Kindly advise as to my official start date, as well as to where the heck Canonsburg is.

Warmest personal regards,

George

 

[Jax]

:lol:

Is this thread still going?

 

[Sas]

:lol:

Is this thread still going?

Here's a thought, if you don't like it, don't read it.

"Is this thread still going?" horse beating smilies, etc, add zero value into a thread.

 

[RJP]

Here's a thought, if you don't like it, don't read it.

"Is this thread still going?" horse beating smilies, etc, add zero value into a thread.

Et tu, Saspotato?

 

[lamont]

dreads, ink and piercings and other bits of external appearance will all tend to limit your options, on average.

if you've got the abilities, you may actually want to limit your options and reject potential employers who would reject you for your appearance.

however, if you don't have the abilities, so that you lose the top-line jobs where they recognize quality, and you lose the lower-level jobs because of hair/ink/piercings, then don't whine about how everyone hates on you because you're different. if you're in that bucket, then you can't afford to have the hair, ink and piercings. you need to develop *something* -- technical skills -- a pleasant demeanor and dive-site knowledge as a DM, etc. what doesn't work is to just coast by, getting stoned, and having a ton of attitude about how nobody recognizes how brilliant and special that you are -- and it is going to be the latter (attitude) that even McDonalds is going to not want to see in their employees.

on the other hand, if you've done the work to be valuable, then the reward is that you can get a pass on all the stupid details (and those with good genetics and good personalities can get away with less work, because those traits tend to be valued)...

since you're asking about it, i'd say skip the dreads... if you were really that valuable and self-assured, you wouldn't have bothered asking...

 

[wedivebc]

I would hire someone with dreadlocks that are clean and neat

You have seen dreadlocks right?

 

[saltynay]

Thankyou for your replies however I am still divided on the issue.

 

[RJP]

Thankyou for your replies however I am still divided on the issue.

In decision theory we often employ what's known as a "least-regret decision model" in situations such as this. Essentially what you do is assume you made Decision #1 and then analyze the potential that you would regret that decision, in terms of both likelihood and impact. Then, do the same for Decision #2.

A quick analysis based on pure logic:

Decision #1 - Grow Dreadlocks:

• Likelihood of Dreadlocks impacting job offer: Low/Medium/High (Depending on hiring manager's bias)
• Impact: High (Don't get the job)
• Regret: Med/High (Low/Med/High x High = Med/High)

Decision #2 - Don't Grow Dreadlocks:

• Likelihood of Dreadlocks impacting job offer: Zero (Not having dreadlocks will not be held against you^*)
• Impact: Zero (No Dreadlocks, no impact)
• Regret: None (0 x 0 = 0)

Seems like a pretty simple decision to me.


^*Unless you're looking for a job at a Rastafarian dive shop.