Should I shave my beard to become a lawyer?

[Linus]

Hi all,

I’ve got a question about presentation for City law applications and interviews. I currently wear a short, well-kept beard (more “corporate beard” than hipster) and I’m wondering if I should shave it off when I start heading into interviews and vac schemes.

On the one hand, it’s part of my look and I keep it very tidy - edges sharp, length controlled. On the other hand, I know the City has a fairly conservative culture and I rarely see senior partners or politicians with beards. Clean-shaven feels like the safest bet.

Do firms really care, or is this one of those things people overthink? Has anyone here gone through interviews with a beard and found it made no difference?

Grateful for any perspective - especially from trainees/associates who’ve been through the process recently.

 

[vera.mekhonoshina]

Hi all,

I’ve got a question about presentation for City law applications and interviews. I currently wear a short, well-kept beard (more “corporate beard” than hipster) and I’m wondering if I should shave it off when I start heading into interviews and vac schemes.

On the one hand, it’s part of my look and I keep it very tidy - edges sharp, length controlled. On the other hand, I know the City has a fairly conservative culture and I rarely see senior partners or politicians with beards. Clean-shaven feels like the safest bet.

Do firms really care, or is this one of those things people overthink? Has anyone here gone through interviews with a beard and found it made no difference?

Grateful for any perspective - especially from trainees/associates who’ve been through the process recently.

Hi @Linus,

That's a really good question that I'm sure a lot of people will find insightful. While I can't speak from personal experience on this exact point, I was also worried about coming across as professional and feeling my best during law firm interviews when I was applying.

When you get an interview invitation from a specific law firm, I would consider checking its website and assessing whether any trainees or associates have similar facial hair. I would consider reaching out on LinkedIn to future or current trainees at the firm that have a beard and asking them about their experience and approach - they will be best placed to advise on that specific firm's culture and preferences.

At the same time, you said that you would consider a clean-shaven look as the safest bet. From my perspective, this now becomes a question of confidence and peace of mind on the day. If you kept the beard, do you think you would overthink this at the interview? Is there any chance that second-guessing your choice would hinder your interview performance or affect your focus? In other words, I would choose the option that would make you feel calm, confident, less stressed and more concentrated on your knowledge and interview performance

I'm sorry I can't give a more definitive answer, but I hope this helps!

 

[Test_Account]

Hello!

You’re definitely not the first person to ask a question like that.

I completely understand where you are coming from. Firms absolutely care about the professionalism of their candidates. However, I would say that when it comes to less conventional styling choices, a smart beard is at the lowest end of this spectrum (unlike, say, facial tattoos) and is highly unlikely to raise eyebrows. What tends to matter is whether it looks smart (judging from your description, this is the case), not whether you’re clean-shaven. I’ve personally seen a range of male facial hair across all levels of seniority at law firms.

In my view, this is not going to be an issue at all - and you should go for what makes you feel best!