"What's with the hat?" A cautionary tale...

Mr Badger · Mar 17, 2013

Thought that you good people may enjoy this little tale...

Last week I went for a job interview and it was raining heavily / freezing cold when I left the house, so naturally I put on an eight-panel cap to protect my noggin... just prior to the interview, I took off the cap and looked in a shop window around the corner, only to discover that I had horrible 'hat hair'! Consequently, rather than having my interviewers stare at the matted mess, I decided to leave my cap on during the interview, which seemed to go very well indeed... the feedback from the employment agent confirmed that, as I thought, they'd loved me but, he said, the HR lady had a couple of points, which is when he uttered the classic question "What's with the hat?" Of course, I explained the situation, he laughed, and said he'd explain to her...

The second interview for the same job rolled around, on yet another freezing cold day, so I went along sans-cap, only to be greeted by the same HR lady, who asked "No hat this time?" I replied, "It's in my coat pocket..." Now I've the third and final interview for this job, which is working for a creative agency, and of course will ensure that they don't get spooked by my headwear!

I simply find it strange that a company which comprises of 'creative' types can get freaked out by a 40-something man who wears a cap in cold / inclement weather, and do wonder how they will react to my planned Summer attire of a seersucker suit and one of my fair weather fedoras... we live in 'interesting times', indeed!

Any thoughts? This is pretty much the same outfit as I wore at the first interview:

Fletch · Mar 17, 2013

The crown size may have been a bit unsettling to civilians. Perhaps they were concerned that you would smuggle small house pets into the office.

The Wiser Hatter · Mar 17, 2013

Full cut cap's can be intimidating to someone not use to caps. I have one and watch when I wear it. I have forgotten and worn it on a day of a company full plant meeting and it get's attention everyone in the room noticed me and would say something about the cap to me. So I now watch what I wear and don't wear the full cut on on meeting days.

Feraud · Mar 17, 2013

Mr Badger said:
I simply find it strange that a company which comprises of 'creative' types can get freaked out by a 40-something man who wears a cap in cold / inclement weather, and do wonder how they will react to my planned Summer attire of a seersucker suit and one of my fair weather fedoras... we live in 'interesting times', indeed!

Apparently you did not appear "creative" within the acceptable boundaries of the group..

Good luck with the interview process!

Master Mason · Mar 17, 2013

Personally, my issue would have been wearing the hat inside. Hat hair is something that happens when you wear hats, wearing them inside is bad etiquette. Just my 2cents.

scottyrocks · Mar 17, 2013

I don't have a lot of hair, and what I do have is very short, but if I had long(er) hair, I would not wear a hat during a job interview. I'd probably run my hand/fingers through my hair and do the best I could to negate the hat-hair.

Mr Badger · Mar 17, 2013

Hey, I thought that's what the general opinion would be, to be honest. Needless to say, I'll not be wearing a hat for the third and, according to the recruitment guy, final interview tomorrow!

Boyo · Mar 18, 2013

Wear the hat...bring a comb

Tomasso · Mar 18, 2013

Master Mason said:
Personally, my issue would have been wearing the hat inside. Hat hair is something that happens when you wear hats, wearing them inside is bad etiquette.

This was my thought as well and even though it is a creative shop the HR people generally are not of that ilk. They could just as well be staffing a steel company.

Bassman · Mar 18, 2013

Beautiful cap! Good luck on the job search.

SHOWSOMECLASS · Mar 18, 2013

My two cents worth would be the company hires creative types who toe the line at work. Perhaps they see you in the future as one who is a non-conformist. Partially true, what they want to know is: will you be the type who is unwilling to bend to company policy. I.E. are you a good fit.
Perhaps may not be the best place to work for you. Food for thought.

Canadian · Mar 18, 2013

I would hesitate (and I am often asked my impressions of hires, or to examine resumes for various things) to recommend for hire, a gentleman who wears a hat indoors.

I once had a fellow who was asked by my boss if he could multiply 6x7. The man replied, "Yes, can you do pi to the fourth decimal place". It so infuriated my boss that he kicked the man out of the office.

If you come to my father for a job, you'd better suck up and do what you're told. If vintage hats are not common among the staff, wait till you're hired to wear one, if you feel comfortable. I would think even a Panama in hot weather and a beret or a fedora in colder weather would be better received. And regardless of hat hair, if you come into our offices hoping for a job, you'd better worry about things other than hat hair.

We have staff who wear sweatpants to work. They didn't wear sweatpants for their interview. If you have unusual clothing choices (these people are semi-skilled laborers) you had better not wear them to an interview. In fact, I would like our entire bindery department to wear chinos and short sleeved sports shirts, but I tolerate their dress, because I value their work more than their appearance.

Tom

Pompidou · Mar 18, 2013

Many managers don't like being outclassed by their staff. It can be risky dressing too well for a job interview. That said, the last guy my cafe brought on board walked in for coffees with his wife dressed like a Victorian nobles, said, "What do I have to do to work here?" and we said, "You're in". Each company's got its own peeves.

SHOWSOMECLASS · Mar 18, 2013

First you have had three interviews. That says to me this is a important position. Second, you and other people who are applying are under very close scrutiny. That said, you have made it thus far. Bottom line, this company wants hard working creative types who toe the line. Take a hint. Someone doesn't like the cap! People who consistently present themselves as a individual can be a headache further down the line. Man could I tell some stories.
Sell them on your old fashioned values.... you are company man.
Improvise with the weather.
Square yourself away so you get this job!

John in Covina · Mar 19, 2013

Job one is - get the job.

Mr Badger · Mar 19, 2013

Hey folks, thanks for the kind words / advice / encouragement!

Sad to say, the third interview was a bust – left feeling really pissed off, having jumped through lotsa hoops for a company that's been looking to fill this 'position' since October – it would help A) If they decided what the job actually is, they keep changing the job description, and B) talked to each other about which members of their own staff AND clients I'd be working with / for! :eeek:

My recruitment guy is as pissed off as I am, he's sent a dozen people to be interviewed for this 'position', got told by 'em that I was the only person who 'ticked all of the boxes', and that the third chat was just to see whether the new business manager thought I'd be a good fit with their clients, a 20-minute meet & greet!

And the hat issue? It's never come up again... and I didn't wear one!

As Mrs Badger said, "Do you really want a job at a company that seems this badly organised? It'd be a nightmare..."

The answer I'm thinking is "NO"!

flat-top · Mar 19, 2013

Looks like you dodged a bullet Mr B!:eusa_clap My last place of employment was super disorganized during their interviewing/ follow up process but I accepted the job regardless. My nightmarish experience at that place (as documented here on TFL) should not have been a shock.:eusa_doh:

Mr Badger · Mar 19, 2013

Yeah, chap, you're probably right!

Edward · Mar 19, 2013

Mr Badger said:
Hey folks, thanks for the kind words / advice / encouragement!

Sad to say, the third interview was a bust – left feeling really pissed off, having jumped through lotsa hoops for a company that's been looking to fill this 'position' since October – it would help A) If they decided what the job actually is, they keep changing the job description, and B) talked to each other about which members of their own staff AND clients I'd be working with / for! :eeek:

My recruitment guy is as pissed off as I am, he's sent a dozen people to be interviewed for this 'position', got told by 'em that I was the only person who 'ticked all of the boxes', and that the third chat was just to see whether the new business manager thought I'd be a good fit with their clients, a 20-minute meet & greet!

And the hat issue? It's never come up again... and I didn't wear one!

As Mrs Badger said, "Do you really want a job at a company that seems this badly organised? It'd be a nightmare..."

The answer I'm thinking is "NO"!

Yeah, some places are like that. I've had friends in similar circumstances given a job, then told a couple of weeks later there is no longer a job. Grr.

Re the hat posts above, it sounds to me like they just thought it unusual for the hat to be worn indoors, not that the hat was a nono. But yeah, if my experience is anything to go by it's astounding how conformist self-proclaimed non-conformists can be. Same thing with "eccentrics"...

Messy hair? Combine it with an outward demeanour of cluelessness, a cold, calculating inner core... and you could be mayor of a major world city. Ahem.

Talbot · Mar 19, 2013

flat-top said:
Looks like you dodged a bullet Mr B!:eusa_clap My last place of employment was super disorganized during their interviewing/ follow up process but I accepted the job regardless. My nightmarish experience at that place (as documented here on TFL) should not have been a shock.:eusa_doh:

Could not agree more. Dodged a bullet indeed. Some times earning an honest wage can be a very expensive exercise.

Great looking hat Mr B!

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