Let’s be frank, when people think of geeks, they think of that unkempt, squirrely guy with the bad haircut and ugly glasses. Unfortunately, very few of us do anything about trying to rectify that issue. You find many a geek going to work in Jeans and T-shirts or some variation, which while fine in a start-up situation simply will not get you anywhere in most established companies.

Let’s say you have spent most of your time with smaller companies, or start-ups. You get use to the more relaxed culture, but one day find your little start-up was bought out by a larger company and you have new masters to contend with. Unless you have no desire to move up the ladder to a more demanding position, or even attempt to claim a large raise for yourself, everything you are currently doing is fine if you are happy. But if you want to be taken more seriously, and give yourself opportunity for larger raises or promotions, it’s time to lose that geek image.

Management is going to find more uses for a clean-cut professional looking geek, and therefore you almost instantly make yourself more valuable to the company. No matter what we as geeks might like to think, perception is key to success.

Hygiene

• Shower Daily – I don’t care how late you stayed up writing code or tweaking your installation of Asterisk at home. Unless you have no water because your pipes burst, there is no reason to not be clean when you go into work.
• Shave and Trim – Please shave at least every other day. I know shaving can seem like nothing more than a chore, but you seem much more professional than when you have that nasty four day growth on your face. If you love sporting your goatee or some other face monkey, please trim it twice a week. I’m not saying be Mr. Babyface GQ here, I’m saying don’t look like you glued a brillo pad to your face either. Please make sure to keep up on your sideburns and neck on a weekly basis as well.
• Deodorant and Cologne – This goes along with the showering, but always use deodorant. No one wants to smell you halfway across the office because you didn’t use deodorant and have been swapping servers out all day. Cologne is an optional bonus, but if you do wear it, no more than two sprays.
• Hair – Keep it in check please. If you don’t wear it short enough to not have to manage it, please use something to keep it from looking like a Chia Pet. Get regular haircuts or learn how to do it yourself if you have a low maintenance haircut.

Clothes

• Lose the Jeans – Never, ever, ever wear jeans to work. Unless you are doing some big migration, upgrade, move, or something similar that is mostly physical labor, always where some form of Khaki style pants at minimum. But truthfully, I’d save those for casual days, get yourself some nice comfy dress pants for normal days at work. Surprisingly enough, if you get the right size and material they can be some of the most comfortable pants you own. You can upgrade yourself to three pair or so from Kohl’s or somewhere similar for under $100.
• Button Down Long Sleeve Shirts – I hate to break it to you, but no one cares about your ‘42’ t-shirt or your deCSS shirt. Where a long sleeve button down shirt every day, and if you really need your geek fix, use those t-shirts as the undershirt. But if you go that route, make sure the top shirt is dark enough to keep the t-shirt from showing through, and please make sure the colors don’t clash. If there are any tears or anything in your t-shirt it should instantly enter the not to wear at work category.
• Get Good Dress Shoes – Get a nice pair of brown or black dress shoes. And no, dress shoes are no longer those stuffy arch killing devices they once were. My most recent pair from Kohl’s set me back a whopping $40, and are by far the most comfortable pair of non-tennis shoes I’ve ever worn.
• Get a nice Reversible Belt – Get a reversible belt you ask? Yes. That way you can always match no matter what you are wearing, and frankly, no one will ever know if you don’t tell them. Never go into work not wearing a belt and always make sure you have it on the right color to go with your shoes.
• Burn the White Socks – Possibly just as important as the no jeans rule is the no white socks rule. Get yourself a selection of eight pairs or so of neutral color socks and you’ll be fine.

Accessories

• Watches – If you are going to wear a watch, it better not have plastic anywhere on either the timepiece or the band. Secondly, Digital is out of the question. Let’s be real, no one wears a watch to tell time anymore. It is a fashion piece. Get a nice watch with leather or full metal band, and a nice clean face. You can get a very nice looking watch for under $50 that fits that bill these days. It won’t be an impressive name brand, but you are a geek, that doesn’t matter to you. Once you do get it, if it has a link band, make sure you get it sized.
• Glasses – I can only imagine that geeks probably hold the highest percentage for a demographic of being in need of corrective eye wear, and with that being said, we seem to have the worst taste in what we get as well. Do not skimp here, this is the one place I think best served to spend your money. Either go with contacts or a very nice pair of glasses. You use them all the time, so much so they become a part of who you are. Get some nice looking frames and get those high-end lenses. I’m not saying buy the highest price set of spectacles in the world, just get the absolute best you can afford. After a few months of your upgrade to some nicer frames and lenses I’m willing to bet you’ll thank me.
• Earrings, Chains, et al – If you have the earrings and must wear them to keep you happy, keep them small and innocuous. Personally, I’m not a fan of jewelry on men outside of wedding rings and watches, but the other possibilities are much the same as the earrings. Small and innocuous. Don’t let them scream “Look at me!”.

Environment

• Clean it up – Look, no one cares that you drink 10 cups of coffee a day, or that you had ten candy bars this week. Clean you mess up! Trash something as soon as you are done with it. Whether it is paper, a box, or a coffee cup. A clean workspace is a happy workspace.
• Don’t Over Geek – I love those geeky toys as much as the next guy. But leave them for you home office. At work, you shouldn’t have any more than three geek items in your cube or office. If you really want to geek but still look professional, fill the rest of the space with manuals, reference guides and O’reilly publications. Look, you love that stuff anyway, and it’s a lot more professional than the latest set of Star Wars figures that you picked up for your collection.
• Keep Your Space Inviting – Don’t make it look like a dungeon. People are going to want to stop by and talk to you, and as horrible as that thought is to you, it makes you perceived as a part of the team. You can keep it dim, but put some soft lighting in to ease that dungeon feel. Don’t close your door if you have an office, unless absolutely needed. Be accessible, and try really hard to be a people person. I realize that last part may have made some bile come up in your throat, but if you are well liked in the office, it will be recognized.

To Close

I’m not saying you have to do everything on this list, or that it’s all inclusive. I’m simply trying to pass on to my fellow geeks the things that have worked for me over the years. I worked my way up from the bottom of being a entry level technician to being the owner of a consulting company and the IT Director of a software development company. I consider myself bright, but will never say that I got to this point because I am the absolute best technical wizard out there. I simply worked hard, put forward a professional image using many of the philosophies listed above, and made sure I built lasting relationships with people that enabled me to get to where I am today.

I know a lot of geek types that don’t have any desire to move outside of their Network Engineering or Software Development roles, but even those guys that I know still would love to make more money. And while everyone will tell you that adding new skills will increase your value, by putting a little effort into your image, your perceived value will increase 10x what you put into it. And I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t consider that a good investment.