How to Corporate – Etiquette and Dress Code

This is truly the most basic of the “How to Corporate” lessons, but if you struggle with clothing yourself and generally getting along in the workplace, you’re not going far anyway. I combine these two because in many ways dressing appropriately for work is a type of etiquette. Even if you draft magnificent emails and have Section 1.482 of the US Treasury Regulations memorized, no one will take you seriously if you stroll into a client meeting looking like a beach bum. No offense to the Parrotheads, but accounting professionals usually prefer Warren Buffett to Jimmy Buffett.

Generally, people who struggle with etiquette and dress code fall in to one of a few categories:

• They come from a culture that shares little in common with corporate American ideology.
• They spent two and a half years in quarantine and have no desire to go back to the old way of doing things.
• They spent significant time in Humboldt County, California.

If you find yourself struggling with business etiquette, here are a few things to remember:

• When it comes to sharing personal details, it’s better to be boring than shocking. This is an accounting firm, boring stories are our currency. Share the story about your last vacation, not the story about your last emergency surgery.  
• When fraternizing with your team, understand what level of professionalism is appropriate. If you’re a brand-new associate, most social time you spend with colleagues will be among associates, senior associates, and some managers. You can feel fairly comfortable with people at these levels, as long as you maintain a base level of professionalism*. The more higher-ups are around, the more professionally you should behave. Details on hierarchy may be found in the “Knowing Your Place” and “Advanced Knowing Your Place” chapters.

If you get hemmed into a conversation with a Partner and are too drunk to extricate yourself smoothly, try to remember the FORD method. That is, ask them about their:

Family – “How is your son doing?”, “Is your son into transfer pricing associates?”, “Do you and your son still live at 35 Juneau Court?”

Occupation – You know plenty about their job, so use this one sparingly. You probably got into this situation by talking about work. Stop that.

Recreation – “What do you do in your spare time?”, “Did you catch the Ultimate Greased Wrestling finals last night?”, “What country club should I frequent when I want a promotion?”

Dreams – Please do not ask a Partner about their dreams. Most accounting partners will appear visibly uncomfortable if you do because no one ever asks accounting partners what their dreams are. Anyway, every single one of them will reflexively say that they’re “living the dream.”

Make sure you practice the FORD method drunk so you’re ready to use it at the next happy hour. State-dependent learning is key.

It is better to be overdressed than underdressed. The bare minimum for men is pants, a polo, and closed-toed shoes, while the bare minimum for women is a blouse that at least partly covers the shoulders, skirt or pants, and basically any shoes. Remember, you’re only as dressed up as your most casual item. Picture a guy wearing a tuxedo with patent leather shoes and a guy wearing a tuxedo with flip-flops. 90% of the outfit is formal, but the Parrothead isn’t getting into the black-tie affair. Sorry Jimmy Buffett fans, I’m really laying it on thick.

If you’re working from home, a dress code still applies. When meeting with clients, you should at least wear a bare-minimum top (see above) and make sure your face isn’t covered in barbecue sauce. It is better to keep the camera off than to show up busted to a meeting. However, there is value in showing your face. I recommend keeping your camera on in most meetings, provided your face isn’t busted or covered in barbecue sauce.

Everything else comes down to attitude. If you show up to your job every day, genuinely try to learn and improve, and act professionally and respectfully to your coworkers, you should be fine. All that rah-rah stuff they talk about in onboarding is true in this case. Just this case.

*Base level of professionalism means things like avoiding or minimizing swearing; maintaining an appropriate level of sobriety**; and generally being polite and respectful.

**An appropriate level of sobriety can be considered consuming as many as or fewer alcoholic beverages than the highest-ranking teammate at the event. Don’t try to outdrink the manager. Definitely don’t try to outdrink the partner. You will lose, and they will make fun of you for months.