curiouswayfarer asked: You have dreads yourself right? How do you get on work-wise? here i find people are very judgmental, much of my family do not believe i will be able to have a career if i continue dreading. x

Yes I do.

I just moved to a completely new area (across the country entirely, actually). So for the moment, I haven’t even gone job-hunting yet (I’m here as an au-pair, so my room/board is covered, but I need something else to pay the bills!). I’m not expecting I’ll have any issues due to my hair, though. It honestly isn’t even a factor worth considering, to me.

I’ve been steadily employed the entire time I’ve had my dreads (prior to my move). Nothing fancy- just retail- certainly nothing I wanted to build a career on (not because I was held back by my appearance, but because I didn’t pursue a career). But steady full-time with full benefits. Totally decent for “not-forever-but-hey-this-pays-my-bills” jobs. My hair was never even an issue, even with strict corporate dress-codes, because I. WORK. MY. ASS. OFF. Good ol’ East-coast work ethic. I’ve never worked a job where I wasn’t promoted within months- even weeks.

Of course, you can totally pursue a career with dreads. Don’t think you’re limited to “artsy” fields either, if that isn’t your cup of tea. You can get a job doing anything you want. Maybe an individual employer will take issue with it, but not every one in that field will. Shop around. Write yourself a good resume. Dress appropriately for your job interviews (might not be a bad idea to wear your dreads pulled back, but not hidden), show up on time, do a good job. If people ask about your hair, answer their questions & correct any false stereotypes they believe. Otherwise, if THEY don’t mention your hair, YOU don’t mention your hair. It isn’t relevant, & you need to walk in acting like it isn’t & you totally expect to be hired.

Or, get a job first! After you’re hired, see if you might be able to swing dreads. Talk to other associates, even ask your manager outright (be prepared to explain a lot). Or just do it one day & test the waters (also be expected to explain a lot…if they notice). If it doesn’t go over well, comb them out & stay there, or find a different job.

You can get a job with dreads, & there’s no reason whatsoever it can’t be an amazing one you want to have. You just might have to do a bit more legwork finding it, or work a bit harder to prove yourself. Or not- many employers just don’t give a damn about your hair as long as it’s clean, which is how it should be.