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2L here wondering if I should get rid of my thin yet trimmed goatee for OCI. Not really the conservative type but I will remove it if it helps land me the callback/offer. Holla!

This is relevant to my interests... so, bump.

Definitely a great idea especially if you can't really grow facial hair but want to anyway so you can have that nice pubic-hairesque goatee. It is very classy, and sure to charm any interviewer. A+.

Anonymous User wrote:2L here wondering if I should get rid of my thin yet trimmed goatee for OCI. Not really the conservative type but I will remove it if it helps land me the callback/offer. Holla!

This REALLY depends on how it looks on your face.

flexityflex86 wrote:Definitely a great idea especially if you can't really grow facial hair but want to anyway so you can have that nice pubic-hairesque goatee. It is very classy, and sure to charm any interviewer. A+.

Seriously though... I HATE my jawline, and I am not a big fan of my chin. So if goatees can be OK then I wouldn't mind wearing one to my interviews for summer positions.

I am guessing OP is in a similar situation.

firemed wrote:

flexityflex86 wrote:Definitely a great idea especially if you can't really grow facial hair but want to anyway so you can have that nice pubic-hairesque goatee. It is very classy, and sure to charm any interviewer. A+.

Seriously though... I HATE my jawline, and I am not a big fan of my chin. So if goatees can be OK then I wouldn't mind wearing one to my interviews for summer positions.

The way I see it you have two options.

Lose a fist fight, and get a new face.

or

Just sport a Ronald Reagan mask, and you should be fine.

Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/02/20/law ... cial-hair/

Money quote: "[A]mong all common facial-hair arrangements, goatees are most likely to discredit a lawyer."

I could see it being good for a certain kind of law, but have you ever seen a corporate lawyer with a goatee? It screams out mid-law or would be great for matrimonial law as the percentage of single/divorced goatee members is verrrry high, and you'd fit right in!

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

What about DAs offices and such...

Seriously... my jawline and chin is so bad it makes me look like I am royalty.

ETA: And I cannot grow a full beard. At all... stupid genetics.

firemed wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

What about DAs offices and such...

Seriously... my jawline and chin is so bad it makes me look like I am royalty.

I would hire somebody with an awful chin and jawline way before I would hire somebody with a goatee. It just doesn't make sense in a professional legal context. Do what you will, but I wouldn't take the risk.

Helmholtz wrote:

firemed wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

What about DAs offices and such...

Seriously... my jawline and chin is so bad it makes me look like I am royalty.

I would hire somebody with an awful chin and jawline way before I would hire somebody with a goatee. It just doesn't make sense in a professional legal context. Do what you will, but I wouldn't take the risk.

You just gave me the most brilliant idea! I will hire someone with an EVEN WORSE jawline and chin to interview before me! Then I will look positively manly in comparison!

firemed wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:

firemed wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

What about DAs offices and such...

Seriously... my jawline and chin is so bad it makes me look like I am royalty.

I would hire somebody with an awful chin and jawline way before I would hire somebody with a goatee. It just doesn't make sense in a professional legal context. Do what you will, but I wouldn't take the risk.

You just gave me the most brilliant idea! I will hire someone with an EVEN WORSE jawline and chin to interview before me! Then I will look positively manly in comparison!

I would recommend bringing them into the interview with you and having them sit silently beside you throughout the entire thing for maximum effect.

I think TCR is self confidence you wuss.

Didn't the lawfirmrecruiter person say it's not really a big deal as long as it's neat and clean and looks good?

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

+1

Shave for the interview. Even in Austin, we don't wear facial hair to biglaw interviews. lol

JazzOne wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

+1

Shave for the interview. Even in Austin, we don't wear facial hair to biglaw interviews. lol

OP here...this is a mid-law interview (100-130k)...same sentiments?

JazzOne wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

+1

Shave for the interview. Even in Austin, we don't wear facial hair to biglaw interviews. lol

I am a clean-shaven guy, but I am shocked by the skew of this thread towards no-goatee for interviews.

As long is the thing is neat and trim, who cares? Many prominent people have facial hair of all kinds.

Rock-N-Roll wrote:

JazzOne wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

+1

Shave for the interview. Even in Austin, we don't wear facial hair to biglaw interviews. lol

I am a clean-shaven guy, but I am shocked by the skew of this thread towards no-goatee for interviews.

As long is the thing is neat and trim, who cares? Many prominent people have facial hair of all kinds.

I have also seen biglaw partners with a wide spread collar, pin-striped suit, thick power tie, french cuffs, and expensive-looking cuff links. Doesn't mean you show up in an interview like that. I have had biglaw partners constantly dropping swear words (not angrily, lulz) during interviews. Doesn't mean that you go into your screeners and drop "shit" or "bastard" into every other sentence. I'm too lazy to research this, but are there really any prominent lawyers (especially litigators) out there sporting goatees?

The answer to whether or not you should sport a goatee, no matter what the situation is for, is undoubtedly no.

flexityflex86 wrote:I think TCR is self confidence you wuss.

TCR. Do you get bitties with it? If so, then I doubt an interviewer will bat an eye.

firemed wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

What about DAs offices and such...

Moustache or nothing!

firemed wrote: Seriously... my jawline and chin is so bad it makes me look like I am royalty.

ETA: And I cannot grow a full beard. At all... stupid genetics.

http://www.faceforum.com/chin_implants.aspx

Do you honestly want the guy interviewing you to think he is talking to an evil version of you?

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Emma. wrote:

firemed wrote: Seriously... my jawline and chin is so bad it makes me look like I am royalty.

ETA: And I cannot grow a full beard. At all... stupid genetics.

http://www.faceforum.com/chin_implants.aspx

lol'd

JazzOne wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Just me (okay, maybe not just me), but I would instantly be very biased against anybody who comes into a biglaw interview sporting a goatee. You would already be working way against the tide and unless you're on law review at a top 5 school and bursting at the seams with blinding social magnetism, charisma, and wit, you probably wouldn't get the job.

+1

Shave for the interview. Even in Austin, we don't wear facial hair to biglaw interviews. lol

Bearded Biglaw can be a lonely place. I kept my very short beard for all my 1L firm interviews, have worn it all summer at my V50, and will keep it for 2L OCI as well. OCS said it might create a slight disadvantage in NYC and DC, though, so I'll report back after going through the whole shebang.

OP, goatees are the jean shorts of the beard family (at least it's not a chinstrap or a flavor-saver). There's a risk it adversely affects you. If you have great grades from a great school, where what you want on your face. If you're at all risk-averse, shave.