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Photo by zepfanman

As an engineer that falls under the “not so well dressed” category, I understand that it can be difficult for working professionals to dress appropriately at the office. I spend so much time with my pal Matlab that I sometimes forget about my wardrobe. It’s not a stretch to say that I spend more time thinking about how to vectorize my code instead of what to wear to work. But like it or not, there is more to life than Matlab.

In this post, I’m going to single out the engineering crowd as the main crulpits. And while I’m mainly referring to the male engineers, I’ve also seen some pretty shabbily dressed female engineers at the work office as well, so this phenomenon isn’t just limited to the engineering men.

Among the different career fields, I find that the engineering world is a bit lax with fashion and dresscode. All my other friends in the finance and consulting business are much better dressed in my opinion. In fact, I feel quite under dressed when I see what they wear to work. Granted it’s a different industry, but each workplace has its own dresscode that should be followed to ensure that you fit seamlessly into the system.

Many of the freshly minted graduates entering the workforce are the most likely offenders. But I know of people who have been in the workforce for a couple of years who still have no clue. Dressing appropriately is something that should not be taken lightly. By dressing for the occasion, you do the following:

  1. Give off an aura of professionalism

  2. Display confidence

  3. Look prepared

  4. Show that you care and take pride in your appearance

  5. Show that you are serious about your work. If you don’t look like you take your job seriously, how can anyone (colleagues and customers) else think you do?

And while its true that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, people already do it on a daily basis. There’s just no stopping it. Dressing well can ONLY help you throughout your career. It isn’t a stretch to say that it can help you climb the corporate ladder.

And while dressing well is something that is important, it won’t mean much if your technical work is subpar and lacking.

Tips and Tricks on how to Dress

Anyhow, I probably shouldn’t be offering advice on how to dress appropiately as I’m just as bad as the next engineer. But if you need some tips on how to dress appropriately in the work place, you should visit www.dresscodeguide.com. They tell you how to dress for any occasion. I found it quite useful.

In our next post, Angel Ng will discuss some of the finer points of fashion as it relates to the male engineers of the world. Don’t miss it!