By Jeremy Evans and Christine Pangan
What Dress is Best: Tips for Professional Attire was originally published in San Diego Lawyer magazine in Jan/Feb 2018. This is a spin off of that article in light of the COVID-19 era and remote work. You can find the original piece here.
Jeremy’s Tips
1. Netiquette: just because you are online is not an excuse to give up on life and style. Always keep it 100, even when on the screen or turn the video off. However, remember, you receive “being present” points for showing yourself through the camera.
2. Dress and behave for the meeting virtually as you would in-person. Practice makes perfect. Life will go back to normal, but people’s memories will remain.
3. We have long lived in a day-and-age of email and social media platforms where we do not need qualifiers for meeting people virtually. When you meet someone, you meet them, it does not need to be qualified with “e-meet” you, preceded with a pleasantry.
4. Mute yourself if you are not talking. If background noise is an issue, try this: https://krisp.ai. Microphones are also really inexpensive on Amazon. Earpods are also helpful.
We have been preparing for virtual communication for years. Let’s remember those skills.
Christine’s tips
1. Do wear pants. While it is easy to think that online attendees will only see you from the waist up, inevitably you may end up having to get up during a meeting.
2. Do check your camera angles. Is a vacuum cleaner in the background appearing to come out of your shoulder onscreen? A giant disaster project? While understandable, you might not want anything to distract your colleagues. If you can’t hide the mess, try adding a background.
3. Don’t look too much like a slob. I have had interviewees and colleagues dressed in sloppy shirts or even bathrobes with their feet up. You might not think your seated yoga half-pigeon is visible but we all see your knee pulled up to your chest. While we know you are at home, you still want to make a good first impression if applying for a job, or as a colleague show that you are still able to take work seriously.
4. Do keep the pet and children accessorizing to a minimum. While they are adorable, every time they bark or yell, the meeting focus turns to you if you are not muted.
Though everyone is adjusting to the new normal with shifting priorities, anxieties, and utter distraction, we can at least try to look presentable, present, and competent … a semblance of civilized professionalism in the midst of uncertainty.
Jeremy Evans is Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer.
Christine Pangan is a Lead Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc.