What Does Your IT Dept Look/Dress/Act Like?

[willpower]

I've been asked do some research.

Are the stereotypes still pretty accurate?

Weight: Mostly heavy, some with obvious moobs or the opposite - no definition skinny guys.

Hair: Either styled by Supercuts or kept long in a pulled back ponytail. Dandruff.

Glasses: Wired framed and crooked. Transitions lenses that never get completely clear.

Hygiene: Coffee or ciggie smelling, often unshaved, soda circle marks on the desk, papers, cables everywhere

Clothing: Khakis or Jeans and oversized T - Shirt or poorly fitting sleeved shirt. Shoes are either sneakers or low end Cole-Hahns, Aldos, etc

Attitude: Cranky and/or condescending. Social niceties absent.

Is there anyone in the dept who is the exact opposite of these qualities?

 

[Acuro]

I've been lurking on the site for a while. This post made me create an account so I could reply.

I work in an IT department of about 100 people. There are very few people in the department who have any of the qualities you describe, no one has them all:

The guy in the office to my left is a competitive biker. Slender frame, tight definition. He doesn't spend a lot on clothes, generally wears a blue button down Oxford, inexpensive slacks, and as he has a very high hairline, nearly shaved head. No glasses, no smoke, no soda, keeps a neat office. I don't like him all that much, but he does exhibit adequate social skills.

The woman on the other side of me dresses nicely (don't know from women's fashion, so I can't speak to brands), doesn't smoke or drink or run with men who do. She might fall into the no-definition body type, but for a woman, I guess that's an OK trait. She's "too fat" to be a runway model, but I'd call her skinny. Obsessively clean desk. Socially, she appears stand-offish, but I give her a pass on that, calling it insecurity rather than haughtiness.

Across from me is a well-built 40-something dude, snow white hair, frameless glasses that sit squarely on his face. Generally wears wool slacks and a neither expensive nor cheap shirt. Certainly off the shelf dresser, but never sloppy. He does drink coffee, but doesn't have a cup going all day long. Great social skills, easy-going, soft-spoken-- never heard him being rude to anyone.

Myself, I tend to wear Bonobos wool slacks, and shirts from either Territory Ahead ( they make a medium tall shirt that fits my 6'4" 190 lb. frame nicely), Charles Tyrwhitt, or Paul Frederick. I don't spend a lot on shoes-- comfortable and "sensible" as Mother would classify them. I wear my salt and pepper hair quite short and easy to manage, so I don't need to go to a salon and pay a boat load to maintain it. Out of the shower, towel dry and a dollop of pomade and I'm on my way. In the last month, I've grown out my beard again. I keep it trimmed so it's about a 2-week stubble. I love schmoozing, and think I do it well, and I don't think anyone calls me rude.

I could go on at length, but that should be enough to help dispel your sterotype of IT folk as fat, smelly, rude and crude (and all men, it seems).

Cheers!

 

[willpower]

Thanks a lot for the reply. I know they are stereotypes, as several years of my career were in IT and few people had all of the attributes mentioned above, although a certain number had some. Shows like "The IT Crowd" didn't help live the rep down.

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[Salad]

Only once did I have to deal w/ a guy who fit the stereotype of nerd, no social skills, sometimes scary IT guy. Most of the IT people I've ever had to deal w/ were all right.
3 of the hottest women I've worked with were IT. One was the most sultry woman I've ever known. She knew it too. A look from her would strike me dumb. Another was kind of like a typical sweet suburban girl who secretly (not so secretly) wanted to do Appreciation. The most recent one is one of the most beautiful women I've ever known. Smart, sexy, kind and thoughtful. Basically wife material...at least her longtime live-in boyfriend thinks so. We're friends now even though we don't work together. Been lucky in the IT dept.

 

[gort]

I work for a tech company where almost all of the people with tech job fit most of the stereotypes. We have casual dress and many people push the limits of that. Today I observed someone in cargo shorts and its the middle of November and 44 degrees outside.

Once observed someone wear the same shirt for 18 days straight.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Gonna Merkur this, just in case...

..

 

[thenanyu]

I was having a chat with a technology managing director at an i-bank the other day and he said, "I wear one pair of shoes, every day until it gets really comfortable, and when it falls apart, I get another pair of shoes". He was wearing geox / deer stag type loafers. He makes low 7-digits.

 

[FLMountainMan]

dorks/slobs/cool

 

[whiteslashasian]



I was having a chat with a technology managing director at an i-bank the other day and he said, "I wear one pair of shoes, every day until it gets really comfortable, and when it falls apart, I get another pair of shoes". He was wearing geox / deer stag type loafers. He makes low 7-digits.

Sounds like what my dad wears, he certainly does not make anything close to 7 digits.

I should have tried to break into the banking IT world (as a business analyst, not tech support or network engineering etc), far more lucrative, similar work, longer hours though

 

[Laffertron]

 

[CodPiece]

Our IT department (5 people):

• One guy is a thin and ripped soccer player.
• One is a cute female under 30. No-nonsense ponytail, jeans and sweater.
• Most jog every morning and take part in the annual 5K run.
• All wear presentable basic business casual, mostly khakis and polos, nothing to write home about. On par or better than average for our company.
• They're always the first to arrive and last to leave when we do charity work.
• All have razor-sharp wit, are nothing short of friendly and helpful and willing to get you really cool gadgets.
  

Our salesmen are the ones who special request XXXL and XXXXL.