How my style changed when I became a software engineer
By: Jameson Zaballos
Tags: Self Improvement, Software Development, Mens Style, Fashion, Confidence

How my style changed when I became a software engineer

…basically, explaining why I showed up to the interview in a suit.

This is back when I was a PM, and I wore this suit to work almost weekly. I loved it. Also, congrats to my brother for graduating.

TL;DR While I dressed a bit more formally as a PM, I changed my style to being more casual as a dev, as it fit the audience I interacted with. This set a tone for those working with me. I used both styles to leverage the situation I was in, and you should, too.

P.S. If you’re ever looking for free fashion advice, feel free to shoot me a message, and I would be happy to lend an eye.

It’s August in Austin, and despite it breaking triple-digits in temperature almost daily, I’ve decided to show up to work in a cotton two-piece suit. You can see it in the picture above. I’ve got an interview for a new development gig, and despite the fact that not a single person on the new team wears suits, I’ve shown up for an interview in one. A suit. For a software engineering job.

It’s quite possibly rule zero of interviewing: don’t overdress.

“That’s a bold strategy, cotton…”

This wasn’t some blunder, or laziness on my part.

I also knew this wasn’t going to be how I dressed if I ended up taking the job (which I did.) This being said, I was very intentional about which suit I picked. It wasn’t charcoal. It was unique and a little bit quirky. It also made a big statement.

Miraculously, that statement wasn’t “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

My style at work helped take the place of weeks of getting to know my personality.

Rewinding a bit here. In my first job, I talked to a lot of people outside my team. UX, marketing, merchandising, and, in a very corporate way, this usually happened in 30-minute time slots. The other 8-odd hours a day were spent with my team, and they knew me well. I would frequently meet new coworkers, and my outfits became not only a conversations piece, or a way to remember me, but a brand associated with me.

It didn’t have to be dramatic. Interesting shoes go a long way. Given that I was interfacing with other teams a lot, these outfits got a lot of face-to-face time. It created a noticeable, however small, reputation that preceded me. That’s (partially) why I was very deliberate about outfit choices. I had to create a way to stand out that was a great addition to the work I was delivering.

I could write many more articles about this effect, and it’s important in the context of my old job. What happened when I took the new job, though? There’s definitely a reason that HBO’s Silicon Valley dresses all the PMs like career fair attendees and software engineers like, well, software engineers.

I switched from spending a large portion of time interacting with external teams to spending a large portion of time interacting with just my team. My PM, my pairs, and my manager. This change in environment required a change in style to match.

Spot the PM. (Silicon Valley, HBO)

Developers just aren’t as external as PMs. I had to change up my style.

Even though I just spent a few paragraphs preaching about how my “dressing up” turned out to be a huge advantage for my professional brand, I’m no fool. Given the new situation I was in, changing jobs from being a PM to being a software engineer and not changing some part of my style would be like showing up to a Halloween party dressed as “myself.” Technically correct, but probably not the right move.

This is mostly tongue-in-cheek.

Even though the above graph is not actually how I make fashion choices, safety is a huge factor in how I dress. Staying on my brand was smart, but not adapting to the situation I was now in was riskier. Calibrating, in this case, meant moving the casual factor up a notch. I bought a few polos, ditched the blazer, and bought a second pair of AllBirds. Yes, I know, AllBirds are almost a cliché at this point, but I genuinely enjoy them. So sue me.

Did this mean that I was abandoning the brand I had established? Absolutely not. I just wore different things to express myself. It didn’t mean buying an entirely new wardrobe either.

Here’s how my outfit shift is playing out so far.

Monday

PM (Before): Quirky button up, blazer (no matching pants), khakis, Oxford shoes

Engineer (Current): Same quirky button up, khakis, Oxford shoes

Sometimes it’s really just removing the blazer. I have a lot of fun dress shirts from Bonobos (No referral, I just like their stuff.) and I kept wearing those, just with the sleeves rolled up.

Tuesday

PM (Before): First suit day. Loafers or Oxfords for the shoes.

Engineer (Current): Well-fitting Polo, the blackest jeans you can get, AllBirds

Big contrast. I’ve had to up my Polo investments. I like Brooks Brothers, RL, and Banana Republic for those.

Wednesday

PM (Before): Button-up, patterned or colored chinos, oxfords.

Engineer (Current): Crewneck sweater, chinos, sneakers

I don’t really think wearing sneakers as a dev, or at a tech job in general, is particularly groundbreaking, but it’s in stark contrast to what I would wear in my last job. No complaints yet.

Thursday

PM (Before): Button-up, patterned or colored chinos, Chelsea boots.

Engineer (Current): Another Polo day with jeans and AllBirds.

AllBirds are my guilty pleasure.

Are they the slimmest profile? No.

Are they the hottest trend in fashion? No.

Do they fit in with what I used to wear? Also no.

But do they blend decent form, great function, and durability into one comfortable shoe? You bet.

Friday

PM (Before): Typically second suit day. Loafers.

Engineer (Current): T-shirt, bomber jacket, jeans, Chelsea Suede boots.

Friday was usually my most creative day out of the week to test out new fits and looks, and that trend continues with my new job.