2 cool 4 school

so, i'm still looking for that perfect job at the moment and i want to share something that i found hilarious yet perplexing. the other day, i went to this interview for a full-time teaching position. everything went really well. my interview, the teaching demo. after it was all said and done, the interviewer said "everything was great...there's just one thing, i think some of the parent's will be concerned that you are too.....cool.

pardon?

i tried to understand what he meant by this...he did his best to explain and said that my look would make parent's question my teaching ability. i was shocked. i had been on interviews before where another candidate was more suitable, or they had more experience but to be denied a job because you were too cool? bizarre.

should i be punished for keeping in style? i have had this hairstyle for about 4 years now and have never had a complaint. i've had my 2 piercings, both in my ear for around the same and also, no complaints. at first i thought maybe this school was more professional or something, but taking a look around at the casual dress of my maybe-co-workers i didn't see anything that would classify as "business" or even "business casual". usual jeans and t-shirts.

i mean, i can honestly say that some people in this country don't keep up their appearance, but i'm a young guy and i do come from a different culture. i could see his point if i had piercings through my lips and nose with chains attached, or if i came in with ripped jeans and dirty t-shirt but i know better than that. there i sat, freshly-shaven, wearing a pair of DKNY pants and a striped, button-down shirt tucked in(which i hate) and my dress loafers. so, what was the deal?

i'm still trying to puzzle it out and at the risk of sounding conceited i think it maybe had something to do with the interviewer's personal feelings on the subject. he was judging me, based on my appearance even though i had just proven myself to be a suitable teacher. jealousy, p'raps? i'm not a conceited person, but i am confidant. i think maybe that is what he really meant by "too cool."

in the end, i didn't get the job but it still makes for a funny story. guess i will have to tone down my "coolness" for the next one.