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Black women in the work place have a unique struggle when it comes to our hair. In this episode of Essence Live's Kitchen Table Talk Series we discuss your hair and appearance in the work place and how far you would go to keep a job.
Transcript
00:00you change your hair for a job like they're like yes give me the money I'm changing yeah
00:07how far would you or would you not go my brand is my hair so at this point right right you could
00:17a million dollars maybe and it's got to be temporary a rinse like for a rinse in like a
00:24week because I'm gonna go back so I have a high standard of like what I'm gonna do with my hair
00:31because it's who I am it's my brand it's how you recognize me first right so I change my hair all
00:36the time so there isn't much I would say to someone like well you can't do that to it as long as it's
00:42not damaging and there isn't long-term damage I'm pretty much okay with it yeah like it's hair to
00:46grow back yeah what about workplace fashion do you feel like as women we have to be more covered up
00:52or more revealing or there's a certain style etiquette if you will I think once you get
00:58the job and you put in the work you pass your probation and you get in the work and then you
01:02can start having leniency but I remember this girl came in for an interview young lady and I'm like
01:06I'm not hiring her because she came in with a mini skirt and she had it was ripped up and her tattoos
01:11were shown I have a lot of tattoos but you can't see them in an interview and some boots on so for
01:14me I'm kind of like this is how you're showing up to get the job right I can't rock with you you'll be
01:18next Thursday you see all those memes where it's like here's my work face and she's got the suit
01:23on and the straight hair and after I got the job I got the afro like with Alicia saying like I think
01:30once you get the job and you've been there for a while you can be a little free it's all about
01:33first impressions yeah and unfortunately that's how we live we live off base off like I'm gonna
01:38judge you from the minute that you walk in the door yeah it's respect too like you're not gonna
01:41adjust the same for a fashion interview than you are for a banking interview right so I think it just
01:46depends on the industry and that you should do your research because that obviously is incredibly
01:50important when you go into an interview to do your research you know I always tell a new person too
01:53because they're the ones with the suit on or overdress and you're the one in the break from
01:57like you're the one in the break from like uh-huh you just got here last Thursday now I don't have
02:05a chest this is a mean push-up that I'm wearing but for those of you who have breasts and nice
02:11curvy bodies do you feel that you're judged differently I had something else on before I came here really
02:15they were sitting up and I was like I don't know we're talking about work I should probably you
02:20know so why did you feel that way just because I feel like a lot of times my body my face my pretty
02:25like all this leads first and sometimes I want you to hear me before you see me and a lot of times when
02:31I have all of this and while it you know you want to be stylish and free and that I have to again be
02:36aware that people are judging me before I open my mouth so when I'm doing interviews or on a camera
02:42things I want you to hear me without saying oh because you already looked at my hair like I
02:46already know y'all standing my hair right so I want you to be able to fully understand what I'm
02:49saying and kind of comprehend other than like sure I get super paranoid like if I am I'm going to a
02:55meeting and I know usually it's all guys I will wear a I wear big stuff anyway I was gonna say not
03:01for nothing like Scotty is my girl crush for oh stop it you know going to meetings I really do want
03:13them to hear me first right and understand what I'm saying and and you know include them on my vision
03:18but I cannot I get so paranoid I'm like they're definitely looking at my body right right right
03:24whatever and you know I just don't want that happening now social media maybe you know I'll
03:30show how curvaceous I am because I am proud of my curves you know my mom very work very hard
03:35but um when it comes to meeting and you know meeting people that I know can change my life
03:44right so I have to dress definitely
03:47you
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