<p>Hey guys I just have a quick question. I'm starting an internship as a software engineer, and I also have somewhat long hair (down to my shoulders).</p>
<p>Should I cut it? Do you know software engineers with long hair? Have you heard of any problems with it?</p>
<p>The creator of C++ has long hair, so I think it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm just making sure. Any input is much appreciated.</p>
<p>You got through the interviews with long hair? If so, it is less likely to be an issue.</p>
<p>At most Silicon Valley computer companies, long hair on (either male or female) software people is not considered unusual enough to be any kind of “problem”.</p>
<p>But there may be some companies with conservative corporate cultures where long hair on men is frowned upon (though that may run into legal issues regarding members of some religions). If the job involves working near machinery that can grab loose things and pull them in, long hair (on either men or women) may be disallowed or required to be tightly tied up for safety reasons.</p>
<p>In 2011, long hair is not unusual in the least. Even some of my defense department civilian government sponsors have long hair. </p>
<p>Eyebrow piercing, that’s probably more of an issue. You don’t want to have people wince in empathetic pain just from looking at you.</p>
<p>Just ask your hr rep or any other contact in the group you will be working for.
If there’s any sort of client interaction, it will obviously be unacceptable. If there isn’t, it just depends on the company culture. Asking here is pointless unless you find someone who worked for the same company and in the same group.</p>
<p>This TOTALLY depends on the specific company. I have worked for some companies where you pretty much have to be clean-cut and also worked for companies were your would not know if I was a bum off the street.</p>
<p>In general, there is a little more “leeway” when it comes to us software engineers.</p>
<p>Why is long hair popular with CS majors?</p>
<p>Is it actually more popular, or just that, in the workplace, they tend to be less likely to be externally constrained against it?</p>
<p>Is this a joke?</p>
<p>Most of the CS major I’ve seen are neckbeards (at least from my experience).</p>
<p>Thanks for the input guys. And MyHipie, it’s not a joke. If you had long hair you would probably think the same thing.</p>
<p>I think I’m just going to play it safe and cut it. It won’t be the end of the world… I can always just grow it back if I wanted to haha.</p>