Ok, I am going to say this one last and final time. The hair color is not as big of an issue as you guys are making it out to be.

It does have a mild hinderance, but in the long run, the effects are VERY minor and the very vast majority of employers around here are not bothered by it. I do not think that changing it would be worth it in this particular circumstance, however I do accept the consequential exemption from a small minority of employers that I would typically be some of my bottom choices anyway.

My location makes this decision a lot easier, so please don't think that appearance is my main problem. It's really not.

The real problem is the over/underqualified issue and also competition by the sheer number of applicants. It's not the look of my competitors, it's their qualification levels and the fact that theres so many of them. I think really my biggest problem is the qualification thing. I'm not "16" enough for those bottom jobs (there's tons of these little kids competing for the same job), and I'm not experienced enough for the few things open in my field.

Also mental strength is another thing I was asking for advice on... that's the really tough part!