Beard or nah?

I’ve heard people say that a beard is a no go, also heard that it doesn’t matter. Starting as an analyst I at a boutique IB firm in a couple months. Should I bite the bullet and start shaving?

14 Comments
 

keep it short dont shave, may i ask what boutique im looking for internships :)

 

I work in tech so I can look like I just rolled out of bed for all anyone cares, but in my opinion I would say as long as it looks neat and trimmed it's fine. I bet with enough confidence you could pull off an Abe Lincoln, but that's a risky move.

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

Why do they care so much about being clean shaven?

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

I always had a beard throughout college. I felt that there were zero downsides to shaving when I started working. Don’t think anyone really cares in the grand scheme of things but for me it felt like there was little upside to having it the first few days. I know I can grow back facial hair pretty quickly so it wasn’t much of a loss. I say shave it when you start just to be safe

 

It will definitely vary by BB/group/etc. I would come in clean-shaven and then adjust after that, follow the social cues from your leadership.

 

Definitely depends. Is it a clean strap type of beard which looks natural or is it approaching what letterman has going on now? I'd clean shave for now and then adjust based on what the vibe of the seniors / other analysts is. And if you're working remote it matters less but I'd say keep the same etiquette you'd have in person over zoom so nothing is lost on the folks you work with, at least initially.

 

I used to clean shave when we were still at the office. Since WFH, I grew a full beard and probably will keep it like this once we're going back to the office.

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