New Programmer's Survival Manual

Tip 16

Own the Image You Project

[​​White Belt] First impressions matter. Think about this topic before your first day on the job.

First, a disclaimer: there are “corporate image consultants” who specialize in helping people dress for success. I’m not one of them.

Programmers may not be judged by their clothes as much as, say, executives or salespeople. Even so, the people around us have their biases. You can choose to challenge them or decide you’re better off picking a different battle. Either way, choose consciously.

Perceptions

We humans haven’t lost our capacity for instinct—we will make snap decisions about situations and people ...