Well, Most of the men I know have long hair, so I am goign to feel bad about saying this, but no. General rule: They are less professional. Professional people tend to TRY to look professional.... hence, they buy certain clothes, certain watch brands, certain cars (some of them, at least), and they cut their hair a certain way. If I had to hire a new (Male) lawyer for my law firm based purely on looks, I'd probably lean towards a short haired one. Of course, if I could actually talk to them, I wouldnt pay any attention to all of that nonsense...

I don't think that men with long hair are looked down upon as less professional. I think that employers just know that they are big girlie men, who run home crying, and suck Mommy's bewb, every time things don't go their own way.

OUCH! I'm nasty. Did I say that? >

It's stupid, I don't know if it's wrong.

I think it depends a lot on the profession. In some areas of the computer and recording industries you're looked down upon if you have short hair. I don't think a person's choice about hair-length says anything about their professionalism. I do think that how well they take care of it might say something about how well they take care of themselves and from there give you an idea of how well they might take care of their employers.

Having long hair has probably helped me professionally.

sometimes

If I were an employer and had the choice of equally skilled people I would ONLY hire men with long hair and tiny, large breasted girls. If for no other reason than they're very nice to look at.

I think it's a shame that people are judged by their looks, but I think it's human nature and therefore unavoidable.

No, I don't. But I don't think it's wrong to identify people by their hairstyle or clothing or whatever as people who might be less professional. If a guy rode into my office for an interview on a skateboard and had spiky purple hair and a chain going from his tongue ring down into his shorts, I might expect him to be "less professional".

Sorry, I misread the question. I meant "Yes, but..." and have changed my vote accordingly.

Having a bad day? Or do you just miss Jeanne as much as the rest of us?

Yeah, I miss Jeanne. Maybe I'll make a reactionary comment from time to time to make up for her absence.

SINNER!

But anyway, she's back so you can change your answer to the "how often are you depressed" survey.

yeah, and maybe you'd miss out. maybe that guy with spiky purple hair is a genius. toungue rings can be taken out, skateboards discarded, and clothes changed. those are all very superficial attributes to really judge someone on.

Very true - looks can be deceiving. But if it makes no sense to judge a person entirely by appearance, it makes just as little sense to judge a person with no regard whatsoever to appearance. Plus I think it's practically impossible.

Everybody knows not to "judge a book by it's cover". Fine. Now that we're done with that, the question is: what's next? And next is determining how much we can actually tell about a person based on appearance. All I'm saying is that the answer to that question is, at a minimum: something.

I don't believe that men with long hair are seen as less professional, I've had long hair for the last fifteen years and currently working as a computer programmer on a UNIX system.

The joke around Boston Area is that it's almost impossible to get a job as Unix programmer and/or SysAdmin *unless* one has long hair and wears Birkenstocks... that is, if you're male, females need to have hair as short as possible or, even better, shaved off...

I don't currently live in the Boston Area, but I'll keep that in mind if I plan to move.

I think it's less that their hair is long as that men seem less likely to make much effort with it. My younger brother has longish hair (shoulder length) and he has to be nagged to brush it at all - he just puts a hat on over it. I've seen quite a few men with long hair who have clearly just pulled it back into a ponytail without brushing it (or washing it) in days. Not good. Men who have long hair and take care of it can look perfectly professional.