I'm currently in uni and I really want to dye my hair purple this summer but I was wondering if this would be an issue when it comes to applying for vac schemes and having to do interviews/ACs etc.? Obviously if I end up working in a law firm I won't be able to have purple hair so I really want to be able to get it done at some point before I graduate, but probably won't if it'll interfere with my applications.
Dyed hair?
- Thread starter shortypie90
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Jessica Booker
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- Aug 1, 2019
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The safest option would be to try the purple over the summer and then dye it back a more natural colour when your interviewers come around in November onwards - that’s a good 4-5 months away and when you’d probably be dyeing your hair again anyway.
But it really depends on which firms you are applying to and how conservative they are. Some won’t worry about purple hair while others will be more sniffy about it.
I guess it also depends on how purple it would be and how much you could “hide it” - for instance if you hair was tied back, would that make it less obvious? could you use some kind of filter on video calls/interviews to make it less obvious (have seen a couple of black and white videos and always wondered if the reason was for something like this)?
Jessica has given a great answer but just to give some perspective, I really regret never doing anything fun with my hair and now I’m too far in to do it so I’d really recommend giving it a go! I remember discussing this with a hairdresser a while back and he suggested doing a split dye, where the bottom part of your hair (behind your ears and around your neck) would be a fun color but the top would be your natural color. That might be an option for you 
If it's not something that you have a burning desire to do, you could also consider waiting until after you have your interviews/ACs out of the way and probably do it in interim period in the run up to your training contract? You could also talk to firms you're interested in applying to and ask them if they have policies on this for interviewees. I have seen people with dyed hair attending recruitment events and haven't seen a colder attitude towards them for it, so maybe it's not a huge deal for some firms, at least at the recruitment level.
