The answer is YES!  The obvious rule of thumb is to make sure your hair is neat and well kept at all times, although certain hairstyles may cause you to lose a few points with a recruiter.  For African American men, a popular question, ”Cornrows or Dreadlocks?”  I have personal experience with this. When I was in graduate school, I had cornrows for my first couple of years. I even interviewed for a few positions with cornrows, and never got the job offer. I met a hiring manager at a career fair who was supposed to give me an internship and some graduate fellowship money, but I never heard from him after we met face to face. Now this can all be a coincidence, maybe I just wasn't qualified or whatever reason, but there is a certain "thuggish" image when it comes to cornrows on black men. However dreads, dreadlocks, or locks, are more Rastafarian or fitting with your heritage, and as long as they are kept neat they aren't that big of a deal. When I had my MBA interview, I had the young lady who was braiding my hair take my cornrows out and put my hair in 2-strand twists, which look more like dreadlocks (a more "acceptable look"). I got into the MBA program, and then eventually I grew tired of my hair and cut it at my own will. I bet that if I would have walked into that interview with zigzag cornrow designs in my hair that I would not have gotten in.

Many of my female friends, who have natural curly hair, say that they don't think people see them as attractive as women with straight hair. This goes not only for job interviews and networking, but also dating men and just general relationships. I'm not a woman, so I can't speak on this personally, but the media has this "ideal woman" image they put in your head with TV and movies, and it is usually is a slender body frame with long straight hair. Ask Don Imus, "nappy hair" isn't that attractive to other ethnic groups. This is a topic that can be discussed for hours.  To reiterate my original point, just make sure your hair is neat at minimum, and try to avoid any crazy hairstyles, hair colors, or anything to express yourself, until after your foot is in the door. For men, it is best to have your hair cut as short as you can stand to bear, and be clean shaven for those first-impressions and interviews. You can always grow your hair out and achieve your desired look after you land that job. Just to be safe.