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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:53 pm
by CitizenKane
u can get nice suits relativley cheaply these days. sure u wont be able to afford proper italian stuff or anything like that yet but u can still get something that makes u look the part without breaking the bank, fashion designers realise that there is a niche for young up and coming business types who want to look pro but dont have the dough (hey that rhymes) and i guarantee u if u go into almost any department store u can find something good :icon14:
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:02 pm
by Foo
Shit son, I'm getting by on a Burton's off-the-shelf in a wool/polyester blend. I dropped less than £200 on the whole affair, and it's black, but until I make money it's the one I have to work with.
Fit is the single most important element of having a suit that looks good. It can be made of nylon for all it matters, but as long as it hangs right from the shoulders and you pick something middle of the road (3 button, split lapel, vented) you can get away with cheap.
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:47 pm
by DooMer
Don't give in to the man. You've got the job, wear whatever you want. That'll learn those fucks.
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:02 pm
by losCHUNK
coming from the scruffiest bastard in the world id say... overdress :]
and seeing as your boss is going to be there and its your 1st time i think it would be a bonus for him to see you put that extra bit of effort in to represent the company
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:07 pm
by R00k
S@M wrote:R00k wrote:Maybe, but if so he's reframing the discussion. We were talking about not wearing suits and not shaving beards - that's not the same thing as unkempt.
All I'm saying is that you can look very professional and demand respect without wearing a suit. And a lot of employers are realizing that, just as they're realizing the same thing about facial hair.
I have a close friend (old roommate) who travels around the country managing large installation projects in hospitals for one of the top companies in the world in that field. He never wears a suit jacket/blazer, and he doesn't need to. All they care about, is that their multimillion-dollar project goes smoothly and they meet their deadlines. He meets with executives regularly and has never had any issues. Once he develops a rapport with them, he often won't even wear a tie.
So until he meets them he dresses in more formal business attire - thats pretty normal.
IT guys can be lucky with dress codes, but the 3 I work with all wear ties each day. Dunno why, theyre just in the office most times
Until he meets them, he wears a tie, but never a full suit.
He's the project manager, so his business is meetings and planning/allocating resources. He's in a different city nearly every week.
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:26 pm
by 7zark7
" Life insurance pays off triple if you die on a buisness trip.."
Fight Club
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:33 pm
by bitWISE
7zark7 wrote:
" Life insurance pays off triple if you die on a buisness trip.."
Fight Club
Heh, I still need to fill out my damn benefits paperwork
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 11:37 pm
by Dave
Tormentius wrote:R00k wrote:It's not just small businesses.
A lot of people will also try to tell you that you'll never get hired if you don't shave your facial hair. The business world isn't the same place it was 10 years ago. Especially in IT it isn't.
IT is changing. The days of socially inept and pasty nerds dressed in stained metal tshirts and sandals are coming to an end pretty much anywhere except small dev or web design shops. IT is a part of the professional business world and is usually not its own entity anymore, just the same as any other corporate department. Granted, IT can get away with more casual clothes than the sales departments would but companies are beginning to realize that they can hire techs who can communicate, work with others, and have a sense of professionalism while still having good technical abilities.
You've not been to our office
Re: My first business trip, I'm a little nervous :(
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 12:30 am
by Underpants?
bitWISE wrote:Just got the information for my trip this week. Going to meet with a client in Orlando on Thursday and Friday. I'm nervous and excited. Luckily my boss was already planning to be there Thursday so I wont be totally on my own to fuck things up the first day.
As a developer going to hear about how much our software sucks and how they think it should work, do I wear the standard slacks with a collared shirt or do I throw in a tie? I'm going to assume a full suit would be a bit much for someone in my position.
just remember which is your beer hand and which one is the martini hand, you don't want things to get too crazy early in the morning.
Seriously though, keep as positive an attitude as you can, don't ever look like the customer is teaching you something about your software--that will fucking break you of your authority on the subject. Poker-face and smile, guide them toward the good stuff and give em a stiffy about the exciting NEW FEATURES in development then leave quickly and on a good note.
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 12:38 am
by tnf
keep hand sanitizer in your pocket. right after you shake hands, pull the sanitizer out and vigorously clean off your hand with it. act like nothing happened and keep talking.
they will get a kick out of that.
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 12:56 am
by Pete
losCHUNK wrote:coming from the scruffiest bastard in the world id say... overdress :]
and seeing as your boss is going to be there and its your 1st time i think it would be a bonus for him to see you put that extra bit of effort in to represent the company
I agree with you losCHUNK
bitWISE What do you usually wear?
As a commercial Real Estate Agent, I used to wear the whole high end gear with a tie that could cost over 25$, nice polish shoes, leather briefcase and leather agenda. My clients were all rich and older then me.
I know that the IT business is a bit different, Silicon Valley, shorts and running shoes on a skate board but, when you got to meet a new client, you represent the Company and you don’t want them to think that it ( the Company ) can’t pay you enough to be well dressed, thus it could be thought of as a cheap/poor Company and they don’t want to be part of that. Understand what I mean? You don’t have to wear the three pieces suit, just a nice shirt with nice pants with a casual but nice jacket, this one with good looking shoes will do the work. Of course, make sure everything is wrinkleless, specially if you have to buy a new shirt, don’t just take it out of the box and wear it. And don’t forget to remove the tag ( it happened to my brother, real story ). Also, you should wear everything that you’re going to wear for a little time before, just to make sure that everything fit and that you are comfortable with it, especially shoes, you don’t want shoes that sound like a duck when you walk, and please wear black socks.
The last but not the least important. I don’t know if you already know the Company, they all have their websites, so, do your homework, study on the Company and take notes. Same when you meet them, have a nice pen, not a BIC, a little pad and take notes. It works every time because they are wondering/curious about what you are writing down and at the same time more attentive toward you = respectful.
Merde my friend. You’ll get it on your own because you’re the best.
Pete
Take Care
Forgot to say- Since your boss is also going to be there, you won’t make an impression only on your client but also on your own boss. So when you get back to your Company, continue to flash your new look ( that’s your new me ) and the boss will love it and may as well bring you under his arm. Of course you might loose a few jealous coworkers but you will keep your real friends.
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:32 am
by Captain
Pete wrote:ssed, thus it could be thought of as a cheap/poor Company and they don’t want to be part of that. Understand what I mean? You don’t have to wear the thre
I just read that chunk and I still think the fake Pete should fuck off.
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 1:43 am
by farad
...when I'm the customer your product better do what you said it'd do or I'll have you for lunch...
...hopefully the guy that sold the product to the people you're going to visit didn't feed them a line of shit or you're screwed...
...you would be with me...
...have a nice trip...
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:02 am
by mrd
Well you got 3 pages of advice from everyone... I have no advice cuz I've never been on a friggen business trip... but let us know how it went when ya get back.