What kinda job do you have?

Alright, well...I graduated in May from college and now I'm jobless and directionless.

I got hired as a waitress the other day. Before hiring me, the manager pointed to my head and said "those need to go." I just told her that they can't, that they've been there for a year and a half. She told me that I can cut them off a little at a time (whatever that means). I think she thought that it wasn't my real hair or something. Anyway, she didn't even know what dreads were, so it was rather futile to try to explain. So she just told me to wear a scarf (which made me look like a Hasidic woman, and I got asked several times during the day if I was wearing it because of my religion...haha).

Blah, blah, etc...I actually quit that job today. It wasn't for me. But now I'm back to square one...I need a job desperately. However, I hate having to fit into the cookie-cutter image of a worker. I know, that's life, etc. I wish I could find a job where I can be creative, wear my hair the way I want or don't want, not have to dress in formal black pants and button-up blouses, etc.

Ok, that's my rant. Anyway...I was just wondering what kind of jobs you dreadheads hold? Do you work in offices, work from home, do creative stuff? Does your work place allow you to just be yourself? Any suggestions as to what I might be able to do that's not so formal?

I'm desperate!

 

Get a job as a cook. I was making 11/hour with dreads cooking in places like Fridays and Applebees. Your back in the kitchen so they dont really care!

 

Haha...thanks for the suggestion, babe. Now...only if I could cook... (professionally, that is...don't you need a degree to be a chef? lol).

 

I'm a dance instructor, they allow me to be as creative as I want...that means dreads, tattoos, piercings...whatever...it's what makes me, ME, ya dig?

What was your degree in in college?

 

Yes, to be a chef, but you dont even need a high school diploma to cook at Fridays or anything like that. Its so simple, as long as you dont mind a lil get and grease...

 

I majored in English. I wish I had learned a trade though, to be honest. Then, at least I could be doing something creative that I really love. English is great too, but most jobs with that include working in an office...unless you become a writer/novelist, and that's not the easiest thing to make a living from...ya know?

 

Maybe you could do a bit of editing somewhere?

Just a thought.

 

Yeah, I've thought of that...editing or proofreading. I'd be good at both. It's just tough to get into the business. Most jobs including that are located in New York City, and it would be a hastle to take a train into the city every day. But I'm still looking around where I live to see if there's any place I've missed. I really appreciate your responses. Thanks for the suggestions...

 

If you're in a bind right now and just need a paycheck, most temp agencies don't give a damn what you look like. Mostly because you go work for packaging or manufacturing plants and don't have any contact with the 'public'.

Some are one day things (usually more manual labor)
Some go for like, 2 weeks to a month and a half (usually assembly line stuff)
Some are like, weird receptionary shit that I don't get and will never do.

Temp work is all i've been doing for almost a year now. It's not bad... Most of it is so mindless and repetitive that you can get a lot of good thinking done.

 

I work as a treeplanter. Theres lotsa dreadheads out here and Imake two to three hundred a day. Its bad for your joints tho, good for you muscles. It'll whip ya right into shape. You have to sleepin a tent from May till mid August tho. Or a van, vans are good.

 

i work at a coffee shop. there is another girl with dreads who works there too. my boss just has me tie mine back cuz of health code... he likes to make fun of my hair. its funny. im also gonna be workin at a bead shop... she doesnt mind my hair, in fact she thinks its cool i come to the store to buy beads to put in my hair. lucky for me i have these chill jobs... i have been rejected cuz of my crazy hair tho.
good luck!

 

Synaptic aether...yeah, I worked in a warehouse one summer on an assembly line...I know how it can be. I actually didn't have dreads then, but I'm sure if I worked there again, my dreads wouldn't be a problem. It was a shitty job, only 'cause the conditions were horrible. It was seriously about 100 degrees in there every day, no AC, and people would pass out 'cause of the heat.

Crystaleyez...holy shit, that sounds like a great job. Planting trees? I would love to do that. You really make that much doing that? Wow...I wouldn't have guessed. I wonder how I can get into that. Maybe I can check out local greenhouses or something...

MaryJeanne...yeah, places like coffeehouses are usually more leniant about things like crazy hair styles. Too bad there aren't any coffeehouses around my town. The closest I can think of is in my college town about an hour away. But then again, it IS a hippy town, so yeah...diversity is embraced.

Thanks for all the great ideas guys. I really appreciate them all. I think I'm going to stop trying to fit into a job that HAS to use my major and just do a job (at least for the summer) that makes me feel good and doesn't stress me out.

Any more suggestions are welcome...

 

I used to work in a CD shop when i had massive purple dread extensions, and then i had one side of my hair cut off and the other long and i would change my hair every few weeks.

Then with dreads i worked at Gadget Shop and at a Steam Fair ground (through the fair ground was more strict on dress code :S)

Now i'm kind of taking on my parents buisness ish... as in they are both market traders selling jewelry and soap they make... so i've started looking to selling at festivals their stuff and my own crafts.

Theres loads of stuff out there you can do with dreads.

 

wow crystaleyes that would be awesome, how did u get into it?

 

I work in a business office but I'm by myself for the most part. my bosses don't care at all. If someone important comes in, and they don't want them to know a 19 year old dreadhead runs the office, they'll tell me ahead of time to put some nice clothes on and wear a hat.

 

I work for on a Dell line a a systems analyst & I havn'thad any problems with mine, Even when we get a visit they don't bother. I'm the only dreadhead in there tho but I'm perminent tho, not a temp, so they can't get rid of me realy !!!

 

I work in a finance department for a pretty big global organization. I didn’t start working here with dreads but instead had clean cut hair about four years ago. I have actually noticed the CFO doesn’t make eye contact with me anymore now that I’m 10 months into letting my hair grow. He’s a jerk anyway; for real. All the others don’t seem to mind and plenty of the older folks (I’m only 22) seem to like the hair. I don’t wear anything special either; the company I work for happens to deal with resort timeshares and the dress code is very relaxed. I’m wearing a T-shirt and Cords on Monday with some old old reebok classics. LOL

My company is extremely diverse as far as the work force / employees and there are PLENTY of black woman with crazy crazy hair dos that change each day. So bottom line; there really isn’t much that can be said about my hair as far as being fired.

Have you ever thought of trying a temp agency until you find something you like? You can do data entry can’t you? 

Would you like doing customer service on the phones? Like in a call center? I doubt they’d care so much about dreads and there are companies all over the place who have call centers.

Gary

 

I work at a hostel for the homeless. When I first started work there, I had my hair in a mohawk style, in bright pink. Then I got dreaded up a year ago. Never had ANY comments from the boss or other staff members, apart from "I like what you've done with your hair".

You need a job where what you DO and who you ARE takes precedence over what you look like. There are plenty out there - don't give up!

 

I am a care giver/assisant to a disable American Vet......a dank smokin' Reverend....yes that's right! only part time I'm also a Daddy & Musicain it gives me plenty of time with my little girl and for my music

 

i'm a teacher and it's an up and down ride...i work at a catholic school. so far i've held two different teaching positions in catholic schools in jersey, which ain't that liberal a place in the first place...my locks reach down my back. the truth is, well, if you're genuine and well spoken, chances are they'll overlook your 'heady head.'
i've worn mine back in a tight bun for interviews, with perhaps a headband as well, if i'm having a flyaway day. i wear professional, very blah clothes to interviews (my costume!) and it's just fine fine fine. my mate, who has long long super long blonde locks also works in a catholic school. he's had a bit more trouble finding a job, since many schools do not allow their male students to have hair past their shoulders, but he's managed.
you can do it...i say you downplay your hair as much as possible at first, and up play your personality. wean them into your look gradually. the second time i met my boss to sign the contract, i wore my hair a little looser, in a neat pony. the third time, i left it wild but in a scarf. don't scare em all at once!