4a/b chicks. At what point do you go free like Amistad?

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

LOL. I start a new job on the 1st. For the last couple of months since i've been home primarily i have been doing wash n go's, ponytails, etc (rarely straightened). I need to arrive to the new job on point so I guess I will need to start up with straightening my hair every 1-2 weeks.

Have you been in this situation? At what point did you let your naps free?

 

[ladylibra]

i've worked in several offices with my natural hair, and now i work in a restaurant... and i've never felt the need to straighten.

you can be professional without pressing your hair.

although you may not want to wear a full-out fro... a lot of men find that very VERY sexy and you may not want all that... for real trust me on this! my current male co-workers jaws dropped when i came in on my off-day with my shake and go. now they always ask me when am i gonna wear my hair out cuz i looked sooooooo good with it out and coily.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

i've worked in several offices with my natural hair, and now i work in a restaurant... and i've never felt the need to straighten.

you can be professional without pressing your hair.

although you may not want to wear a full-out fro... a lot of men find that very VERY sexy and you may not want all that... for real trust me on this! my current male co-workers jaws dropped when i came in on my off-day with my shake and go. now they always ask me when am i gonna wear my hair out cuz i looked sooooooo good with it out and coily.

I know your hair must be stunning in person

 

[cocosweet]

I once interviewed for a job with twists. You don't have to straighten unless you want to. I agree with ladylibra, you can be professional without straightening.

 

[Poohbear]

LOL. I start a new job on the 1st. For the last couple of months since i've been home primarily i have been doing wash n go's, ponytails, etc (rarely straightened). I need to arrive to the new job on point so I guess I will need to start up with straightening my hair every 1-2 weeks.

Have you been in this situation? At what point did you let your naps free?

LOL @ Amistad. I don't know if I've ever felt like that. Maybe like Miss Ceely when I have shrunken twists or something...

Anyway, I will tell you about 3 different jobs I've had...

One was a internship with a fortune 500 company... I wore a twa for the interview. When I got the job and worked there, I would wear natural styles all the time...twists, fros, puffs, etc. I never wore my hair straightened.

Then I interviewed for a corporate job with UPS...at the interview I wore two strand twists. I didn't feel compelled to straightened my hair at all. I got the job, and wore all types of natural styles. I experimented with straightening my hair after almost a year of working there.

At the new job I have now as a pharmacy tech, I wore a shrunken fro for my interview. I got the job and have worn starter locs, an afro, and two shrunken puffs so far. Right now, my hair is straighten but who knows how it will be next week. I change up hairstyles like clothes.

My point is... you don't have to straighten your hair to get a job. And you want know something that many may think is strange??? I did a couple of interviews while I was still working at UPS when my hair was straightened... one was for a corporate job for a real estate development company and one was for an investment firm. I got a rejection from BOTH companies and I had straightened hair. So it's not about your hair, it's about your experience and whether they feel you're a perfect fit for the company.

 

[Gryphyn]

I agree, I've never straightened my hair for work. Not even for our corporate events or Christmas party. I wore a puff when I started, and now I wear buns. I even got away with wearing cornrows all summer. My hair has always been neat though. My cornrows always looked neat, and my buns and puff are always smoothed back with gel and tied down in the morning.

 

[meaganita]

i've worked in several offices with my natural hair, and now i work in a restaurant... and i've never felt the need to straighten.

you can be professional without pressing your hair.

although you may not want to wear a full-out fro... a lot of men find that very VERY sexy and you may not want all that... for real trust me on this! my current male co-workers jaws dropped when i came in on my off-day with my shake and go. now they always ask me when am i gonna wear my hair out cuz i looked sooooooo good with it out and coily.

Gurrrrrrllll, you ain't NEVA lied!

I had to beat 'em off me the couple times
I went to work like that!

Had females trying to cut me in the parking lot and errthang!



ETA: Now I just wear wigs.........

 

[KEWLKAT103]

I work in an office and I rarely straighten. I wear neat buns almost daily.

 

[Cheleigh]

I haven't had straight hair since I went natural a year and a half ago.

I hired a new peer last week (black woman about my age), and yesterday I smelled "new hair on her." Asked her if she'd just gotten her hair done in casual convo, and she said yes. She and I were talking hair, and I found out she'd just gotten a new press (her hair was also pressed for the job interview--I thought she was relaxed).

She pressed it to wear a "corporate hair do" until she got the vibe here. I have no problem with that, but thought it was a little weird, since it was clear during the interviews that I was not only on the hiring panel, but that she would work directly with me, and that I was wearing natural, unstraightened hair.

All that to say--just wear your hair in a neat style, and let that be the reason. Unless you want to wear it straight, I wouldn't feel like I was obligated to at any company--even a conservative one. I didn't hire her because she has pretty relaxed hair (or pressed in her case) and I wouldn't have "not" hired her because she walked in with unstraightened hair (although she admitted that she has heat damage from pressing).

 

[harrison]

I agree with the others... it doesn't have to be straight...but definitely neat.

I work for a fake @#$ police dept that has military tendencies. I know this place is not ready or can handle my blow out... so I keep it neat with either 2-3 strand twists, twist outs, puffs and things like that.

You don't realize how some places actually embrace it too. I used to work at another agency that allowed me to wear head wraps!!! (not in the field of course.. but if I were in the office) I think it was because between my demeanor, eating habits, and a few other things.. they believed it to be more of a religious thing,, and they wanted to be politically correct.

 

[lipyt]

Yea I haven't str8end my hair in the 2 and a half years I've been natural. In that time I was working as a teacher in New York and now a teacher in Georgia. Today I am rocking a baa. You wouldnt believe how many compliments I got just this morning alone as the parents were dropping their kids off to school.

 

[Mook's hair]

Shoot...you've got the job now. Do you! babygurl!

I agree that it is best to keep it neat. But no one can dictate texture choices to you. Professional is not equivalent to straight.

Just make sure that whatever you do, you exude pride & confidence. Don't walk around wondering if someone is talking bad about your hair.

If you carry confidence. you will be well received.

 

[Leshia]

Gurrrrrrllll, you ain't NEVA lied!

I had to beat 'em off me the couple times
I went to work like that!

Had females trying to cut me in the parking lot and errthang!



ETA: Now I just wear wigs.........

hahahahahahahaahahahahahaaaaa *SNORT* Why do you always have to be soooo dramatic and make me laugh aloud? Goodness, you...are...CRAZY. *walks away still laughing*