Selling Out or Being Smart About Corporate Goth: Is Your Career Worth Changing Your Appearance?

When I first came to work at my current place of employment, I was still very young and even a little idealistic. I didn't see a problem with my Vampire red hair. I didn't see the problem in the way I dressed. From a personal point of view, there wasn't a problem. I dressed like I wanted to. My hair color was the one I wanted. However, it did hamper my chances of being promoted within the college.

A time came when I needed to focus on my career. My job wasn't awful, but I needed to consider moving up in the ranks. That is when I started to realize that maybe I needed to make some changes. Over the next year or so, I began scaling everything down. While I still have a distinct look, my hair is no longer bright red and there are many things I will no longer wear to work. Since making those changes, I have been able to advance in the college. I am not to where I want to be, but I am heading that way.

I can hear screams of "sell-out," but in my mind it isn't selling out. Really I didn't change who I was. I am still the same person I have always been. My heart hasn't changed. Yes, how I looked was a representation of how I feel. However, changing how I look does not change who I am on the inside. Many times people associate certain subcultures solely on stereotypes and external markers. They do not realize that the stereotypes are not accurate and what makes someone truly part of these subcultures is a mindset or a heart issue.

This makes me sad because they put their fear in the wrong place. They assume that the girl wearing the black boots worships Satan and the guy in the suit is the good guy. What they don't know is the girl in the boots used to be a missionary and goes to church every Sunday and the guy in the suit is a serial killer.

As a society we put a lot of weight on appearances. That means we judge people unfairly. If you are trying to have a career, or in some cases just take care of yourself, you need to play it smart. Sometimes you need to adopt a more mainstream look (if only on the job) to meet the desired criteria. No it isn't fair. No it isn't fun, but it is sometimes the choice you have to make.