As a millennial who has just entered the adult realm, seizing all professional opportunities are crucial in building my career. Many of us have done a lot to better our professional skills by attending seminars, workshops, joining student organizations, completing tons of unpaid internships, and working with employers that might not have been professional themselves. (Try saying that in one breath.) All in all, many of us have worked tirelessly to make ourselves marketable to employers by improving our intrinsic abilities. Unfortunately, one's qualities can be easily dismissed due to having an "unconventional" outer appearance such as colored hair.

I have recently added some streaks of lavender to my hair to spice up my look and when my parents first saw me them, they quickly said "That's not professional". Since my parents come from an older generation, I refrain from arguing against them as I know that they come from a time that was less progressive.

However, I did reflect on the statement and in result, I have come up with five things that are more unprofessional than having colored hair. Some of these might be obvious; however, I believe that they are important to highlight because they are often excused MORE than having colored hair in the work place.

1. Lateness

Okay, so this is most definitely obvious however it can never be emphasized enough. Not only can lateness effect your team especially when the work load is cray, but it shows a lack of respect to your co-workers and your boss. It shows that you don't care what everyone else has to go through to be on time. You will have co-workers who have two-hour commutes. Some might have kids and have to wake up extra early to drop them off at school or daycare. The point is everyone makes an effort to be on time, so unless it was a dire emergency, there's never a reason to be late. Even if it's a slow week, be on time! Can you really say that a punctual pink haired lady is less professional than the guy who comes in 15 minutes late with a 5 Hour Energy in their hand?

2. Inappropriate Conversation Topics

This one is very important to me because as a woman, I have faced an uncomfortable amount of low key harassment in the workplace. By "low key" I mean many women have been sucked into conversations that made us uncomfortable even if it wasn't directed toward us specifically. Inappropriate conversation topics could be bragging about some girl/guy you bagged at a bar or talking about your intimate experiences. Even bad-mouthing your ex is un-called for (also many of us don't care). But aside from explicit/sexual subjects, there are many sensitive topics that should never be dabbled in during work hours. Anything referring to religious/social/political/economic beliefs are always prone to lead to arguments. So if you are bringing up any of these topics during work hours, you should probably reassess your decisions because indirectly imposing your beliefs on a co worker is unprofessional. (Unless you're a politician, then obviously you're excused) You are there to focus on your job, not socialize with the guy who also wants to "Make America Great Again." Again, this is far more unprofessional than having colored hair.

3. Poor Choice of Language/Behavior

This one kind of ties in with #2 but I feel it is important to address points that #2 doesn't cover (woops, that sounds funny). Poor choice of language does not always have to involve bad/inappropriate words. Forgetting to say "please" and "thank you" make a big difference when communicating with others. Responding with blatant words such as "Yeah?", "What?", or "I dunno", especially in a condescending tone, show a great lack of consideration. If you are prone to saying anything of the like, be sure to be extremely mindful of how you say and respond to things. Poor choice of behavior can mean that you easily show your emotions more than should be allowed. Being outwardly angry and frustrated in the work place is never professional. It can also mean that you have no understanding of boundaries. There is a time to work and there is a time to play. Not everyone in professional settings are up-tight and boring and it's completely healthy to exchange a few jokes and laughs throughout the day -- but it's important to keep that to a minimum.

4. Lack of accountability

Knowing the responsibilities in your position is KEY to making the best professional impression (notice how hair color isn't mentioned). Your value as an employee reflects whether you decide to excel your given expectations or to complete the bare minimum. However, the most un-professional thing you can do is to show lack of accountability in your position and in general. Declining your mistakes makes you look incompetent and unsophisticated. Even if the mistake was unintentional and not 100% your fault, always take accountability for any wrong doing that you are a part of. A huge no-no is when you try to find any reason to excuse your mistake, such as playing the "well it wasn't in my job description" card. Let's be real, we all have known people who pulled that. In addition, placing full blame on someone else is childish and immature. Placing FULL blame on yourself looks like you are over-compensating for your mistake. Nobody needs a well-written apology or any desperate type of action to take place. Just own up to your faults and do your best to correct them. Professionalism is not perfection, but lack of accountability should never be brushed off. Seriously, why is this more overlooked than green hair?

5. Sh*t talking

There really is no other way to put this nicely, but talking poorly about another coworker/boss behind their back, or even to their face, is EXTREMELY unprofessional. Saying something bad about an employee, even in passing, makes you look shady and untrustworthy. If you do have a valid concern about someone on your team, make sure to address it in an appropriate setting - not in front of everyone during lunch break. Pull your boss or any higher-up aside so that you can have a mediated conversation. If you don't like another co-worker, never show it. The professional environment is not for catty, passive aggressive high school drama. No one has a successful career minding every little thing that bothers them. Accept that you can't always like or get along with everyone and be an example of a professional individual while rocking those rainbow locks.

I know that appearance in the work place will always be a tricky topic but I feel that it is important for people, especially employers, to start managing better professional environments by ensuring these five things don't happen. There are too many supervisors who spend more time bugging the new intern about their purple hair than making sure that the rest of their employers, and themselves, are living up to real professional expectations. The controversy of appearance in the work place goes beyond colored hair. Lots of work environments have different restrictions towards hair styles, tattoos, and even patterned clothing. In a generation that is trying to break out of the mold, I am not promoting a "do whatever I want" mentality. Instead, I want to see a better placement of values in the professional environment.

I mean let's be real, did the color blue ever do any wrong?