Many a woman has been heard to cry those immortal words “I’ve got nothing to wear!”. This is usually exhaled in a fit of desperation and depression in front of a rather un-empathetic husband or boyfriend and a wardrobe crammed full of so many clothes that surely there’s enough there to open a shop. Perhaps that cry would be more appropriate if it was “I have no clothes that suit the way I feel right now”.
We are all aware that presentation counts and affects how others perceive us. But when does it count and when does it really not matter? We all know that going for a job interview usually requires some effort. At least a suit and tie, even if you can’t quite stretch to cuff-links. Those first few moments when you meet your potential employer are vital, as your interviewer will generally make up their mind about you within less than a minute. Ok, so pin stripes, shiny shoes and cleaning your nails are all important for an interview, but what about the rest of the time?
Does it really matter what I wear to work when I spend most of the day in front of my PC with the only contact with our customers by email? They won’t see me in my ripped jeans and T-shirt,
or know that, yeah I confess, I wore these socks yesterday too. That stain on the front of my T-Shirt? Well, I was a bit sloppy with my egg-mayo baguette at lunchtime…
I’m relaxed in my easy-going clobber of jeans and T-shirt. When I put my power suit on I feel the authority and respect it demands. I feel serious and go-getting. In my jeans I’m ready for long, relaxed development meetings over a Starbucks coffee and cake, lounging on the sofas in the chill-out room. I’m relaxed enough to sit at my desk long enough to start thinking I should worry about DVT. In my suit, I want to write a project plan, maybe tell a few developers what to code, take charge, gain control.
So, does what I put on in the morning reflect how I’m going to behave that day? Does it make me code better? If I’m relaxed in my jeans, surely my mind is relaxed and my code just flows. But then again, in my suit, I feel control and power, I’m driven and work oriented and may just look the part for the team leader role that’s up for grabs.
What do I do? Well, if I go to work in my jeans I have nothing to change into when I get home, to create the psychological divide between work-life and home-life. So I spend Monday in my best suit and slowly relax my style towards the end of the week. Friday, I’m in the relaxation groove, I want to slide into the weekend on a comfortable note, so I have a dress-down day. Besides, if I go straight to the pub on Friday night, I don’t have to change to get into weekend wear!
What do you like to program in? And don’t just give me C# for an answer!
We are all aware that presentation counts and affects how others perceive us. But when does it count and when does it really not matter? We all know that going for a job interview usually requires some effort. At least a suit and tie, even if you can’t quite stretch to cuff-links. Those first few moments when you meet your potential employer are vital, as your interviewer will generally make up their mind about you within less than a minute. Ok, so pin stripes, shiny shoes and cleaning your nails are all important for an interview, but what about the rest of the time?
Does it really matter what I wear to work when I spend most of the day in front of my PC with the only contact with our customers by email? They won’t see me in my ripped jeans and T-shirt,
or know that, yeah I confess, I wore these socks yesterday too. That stain on the front of my T-Shirt? Well, I was a bit sloppy with my egg-mayo baguette at lunchtime…
I’m relaxed in my easy-going clobber of jeans and T-shirt. When I put my power suit on I feel the authority and respect it demands. I feel serious and go-getting. In my jeans I’m ready for long, relaxed development meetings over a Starbucks coffee and cake, lounging on the sofas in the chill-out room. I’m relaxed enough to sit at my desk long enough to start thinking I should worry about DVT. In my suit, I want to write a project plan, maybe tell a few developers what to code, take charge, gain control.
So, does what I put on in the morning reflect how I’m going to behave that day? Does it make me code better? If I’m relaxed in my jeans, surely my mind is relaxed and my code just flows. But then again, in my suit, I feel control and power, I’m driven and work oriented and may just look the part for the team leader role that’s up for grabs.
What do I do? Well, if I go to work in my jeans I have nothing to change into when I get home, to create the psychological divide between work-life and home-life. So I spend Monday in my best suit and slowly relax my style towards the end of the week. Friday, I’m in the relaxation groove, I want to slide into the weekend on a comfortable note, so I have a dress-down day. Besides, if I go straight to the pub on Friday night, I don’t have to change to get into weekend wear!
What do you like to program in? And don’t just give me C# for an answer!
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