Nerdy Professional
I’m sure that you know the expression. That sidelong look at your anime t-shirt. The raised eyebrow at your colorful hair. That tone when you talk about your love of video games, comic books, or Star Trek. While a love of nerd culture is more acceptable now, many of our loves and interests are still considered childish.
It’s important to recognize that many people do not understand nerd culture, nor do they want to understand nerd culture. Taken out of context, many of our hobbies can seem weird at best, risque at worst. In the business world, I have seen nerdy social media accounts cost people their jobs.
It can be hard to reconcile your nerdy, geeky self and the professional image required by most jobs and careers. Here are a few suggestions to be a nerdy professional.
Take Charge of Social Media
Okay, so let’s say that you are a manager or you are working to get into a manager or supervisor position. Chances are your potential boss and reports will be looking you up on social media. It isn’t a bad thing for them to know about your nerdy interests, but we recommend taking charge of how and when you want to tell them about cosplay or that last convention you attended.
When you post nerdy endeavors on social media, keep it in context. When you post cosplay pictures, label the photos as cosplay or costuming and give them the situational picture. Were you at a photo-shoot? How about a convention?
We talked to many people who work with government contracts. These people recommended consolidating most of your cosplay to a designated cosplay page. That keeps your cosplay in context. When someone runs a background check, they are likely to find your cosplay, but it won’t be their first impression of you.
Another social media tip is to periodically post a cosplay 101 post. This gives new friends and connections some insight into the hobby.
Nerdy Professional Dress
They say to dress for the position you want. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re relegated to boring button-ups, skirts, and jackets. In general, a professional look is based on a silhouette rather than the specific print. As long as you have the correct pieces required by your position, and the prints are subtle, then you are able to bring your nerdy-self to work. It’s a technique we like to call “undercover nerd”.
Let’s say you work in an office that requires you to wear slacks and a button-up shirt. Look at your accessories. Bring out your personality with a fun set of earrings and necklace. Perhaps you could find a nerdy lapel pin for your jacket or sweater. Depending on your workplace, you could probably wear a subtle, nerdy-printed sweater, jacket, or hanten. More more strict dress codes, look at wearing nerdy socks, a geeky belt, or a fun bag.
Don’t be ashamed of your interests! It’s okay to be an adult and still play Pokemon GO or dress up in cosplay. These things are fun and make life more interesting! It’s important to be aware of society’s biases against nerdy culture, but it is just as important to be proud of who you are.
