next »

[hoops]

I am a guy, and I wear earrings.  Nothing flashy or ostentatious--just one small silver hoop in each ear.  I've had them in for more than 15 years (ok, not the very same pair), and I almost never take them out (not to sleep, teach, or even for my wedding).  My question, of course, is whether, in 2006, I need to be worried about what search committees will think of me if I wear them to interviews.  In the past, I've assumed no one would care, and I've worn them to both conference and campus interviews (except for 1 notable exception--a certain Catholic school who lost a big football game last night...).

I'm sure some people will say 'If there's any doubt, just take them out to be safe,' and I can see the logic in that advice.  At the same time, though, I've gotten so used to having them in that I feel strange when they're out--and frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to work at a place where something this benign would be considered a problem.

BTW, I'm in a fairly traditional SS (ok, what the hell, I'm in history).

Any thoughts?

[%sig%]

[thought]

You know, if you want to, you can use the earrings as a personal screening device. If you seriously do not want a job where something so minor is a problem, then you have the perfect way of ruling out jobs you don't want.

In my field (lit) we do not have that much leeway and pretty much have to take any job we get no matter how crappy.  But if you can, the earrings seem to me a good way to increase your chances of ruling out jobs with colleagues who will be bad for you.  

OR you could take them out and risk it; search cmtes are not usually perfectly representative of the dept as a whole.  Hmm.

[DrStones]

I'm as preppy and mainstream as they come, but I do't see earrings on a  man as an issue . . . at all.  Indeed, I suspect that it has been 20 years since earrings on a man were an issue in the humanities and social sciences.

[Aer]

thought wrote:

> OR you could take them out and risk it; search cmtes are not
> usually perfectly representative of the dept as a whole.  Hmm.

That's a very good point there.  Search committees are not composed of individuals.  I wouldn't want to ruin my chance at getting a job at a place just because one person on a committee has a problem with my attire.    I'd say that if you're worried about it, and there's no harm in taking them out, then take them out for the interview.  Better safe than sorry.

If it was me, and I didn't get the job offer, i'd probably end up wasting time wondering "what if i'd just taken those earrings out?"

[Artsy Jenn]

I'd take them out...

I have a nose ring.  It should not be a problem - I'm in a creative field for pete's sake!  But why risk it...   different people view things differently...  so I take it out for interviews.  I want them only to think about how amazing I am - and not what I'm wearing or look like.

[Curious]

What do you think Catholics have against earrings?

[anon]

I wouldn't wear the earrings for the interview.  I know that it's part of who you are, but to be on the safe side, just don't wear them.  It's sort of like cologne/perfume...not a good idea because they might evoke a negative response in someone on the search committee.  Get the job first, then stick the earrings back in.

[phud]

A lot of people say "how can you sacrifice your principles" or "you wouldn't want to work somewhere that judges you on something like that" but I think that's naive in this awful job market.

People will judge you for wearing the earrings even if they themselves don't think they are judging you for that.  These things have subconscious effects on people.  I remember reading an article about a study where schoolchildren consistently ranked prettier teachers as more intelligent than less attractive teachers.  Humans are very, very fallible and subjective, even when they try not to be.

I'm a pragmatist: don't wear the earrings.

[DuhProf]

When in doubt, not in doubt: don't.

[Hoops]

Thanks for the advice, folks.  I guess I'll probably take them out (sigh)...

[And another thing ...]

Only 30% of Ph.Ds in history ever get tenure-track jobs.

Risking not getting a job because of an earring strikes me as pretty foolhardy. phud says it well.

[%sig%]

[Bookish]

I don't think they would disqualify you, but your earrings might be distracting even to well-intentioned committee members, if earrings strike them as unusual at all. I heard a lecture in grad school from a speech professor, who explained how much of an audience's attention can really focus on your WORDS (very little), and how much (very much) gets drained away by various external things like highly patterned clothing, even in highly motivated audiences.

As a result, I have honed down my "teaching clothes" to simple yet professional classically-cut outfits in neutrals or muted colors (think Ann Taylor) and button-type earrings -- rarely a necklace, never anything jingly. Nothing dowdy, just not too distracting, since I want students listening to my words, not wondering where I found that great shirt. On non-teaching days and to departmental functions, I can mix it up with more interesting clothes, scarves, and funky, dangling-type art jewelry. Seems to work well for me.

Needless to say, my interview attire is pretty conservative -- you only have about 45 minutes to get them to see what is superb and fascinating about your work, and you don't want their attention wandering for even an instant. I still remember one job talk I heard in grad school, or rather I remember that the candidate had a fabulous pin-striped suit on instead of the regulation black. Loved the suit. Don't remember a thing about the talk. Doubtless this says more about me than about the candidate, but you don't want to risk it, do you? I think of it as strategic dressing, to direct attention where you want it and away from where you don't.