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Man, the iPhone 5 really is not a very good example here. If you wear your super classy outfit to an interview AND you have the iPhone 5 instead of a prepaid A

Man, the iPhone 5 really is not a very good example here. If you wear your super classy outfit to an interview AND you have the iPhone 5 instead of a prepaid Android phone (or worse -- a prepaid non-smartphone), it's going to show that you "belong" and that you're not poor. Some people really do pay attention to what kind of phone you have, particularly for these gateway-straddling jobs that the author talks about in the article.

MrZongle2 13y ago
Counterpoint: after the novelty of wearing the super classy outfit and waving the iPhone 5 wears off once you have a job, what else do you now have to purchase -- outside your means -- to convince your co-workers that you "belong"? It would be cheaper to look for a job in an environment that is more interested in what you can do rather than what you tote. That is, after all, what most of us end up doing.
- Nate75Sanders 13y ago
  That's not a counterpoint in poor-person logic. It's a counterpoint in you-the-guy-who-has-more-correct-assumptions logic. This is what I'm trying to get across with my posts on this topic. People keep using reasoning from within a higher-class group where you already know the rules and assumptions of the game. The whole point is that the people below don't.
- mcv 13y ago
  It would be awesome if HR people only ever judged people on skill, and not on appearance or presentation. But if there's one big takeaway from this article, it's that there really are gatekeepers that filter people based on whether they "belong". Faking that belonging can be incredibly important to escape the poverty trap.
- gaius 13y ago
  You probably genuinely do believe that, but the tech industry is notorious for superficial judgements - consider that you would know exactly what I meant if I described someone as a "suit". Maybe he's just a guy who likes to dress well? Maybe he was born in a more conservative culture and that's just what people wear? But God help him if he shows up to the interview in it.
300bps 13y ago
Want to be really classy in an interview? Leave your smart, dumb or average phone at home.
- theorique 13y ago
  They aren't talking about using a phone in an interview. A smart phone is a valuable tool for a professional. Being able to send an email or call from the road when you're running late, or to receive same when your counterpart is running late - people expect this nowadays. Of course, during the actual interview, it should go without saying to put it on silent and leave it in your pocket or purse.
goggles99 13y ago
>Man, the iPhone 5 really is not a very good example here. The iPhone 5 is a great example. The iPhone 3gs or 4 is hardly distinguishable and costs 1/5 the price. You cannot play some high end games with those phones, but that shouldn't prevent one's economic improvement.

MrZongle2 13y ago

Counterpoint: after the novelty of wearing the super classy outfit and waving the iPhone 5 wears off once you have a job, what else do you now have to purchase -- outside your means -- to convince your co-workers that you "belong"? It would be cheaper to look for a job in an environment that is more interested in what you can do rather than what you tote. That is, after all, what most of us end up doing.

Nate75Sanders 13y ago
That's not a counterpoint in poor-person logic. It's a counterpoint in you-the-guy-who-has-more-correct-assumptions logic. This is what I'm trying to get across with my posts on this topic. People keep using reasoning from within a higher-class group where you already know the rules and assumptions of the game. The whole point is that the people below don't.
mcv 13y ago
It would be awesome if HR people only ever judged people on skill, and not on appearance or presentation. But if there's one big takeaway from this article, it's that there really are gatekeepers that filter people based on whether they "belong". Faking that belonging can be incredibly important to escape the poverty trap.
gaius 13y ago
You probably genuinely do believe that, but the tech industry is notorious for superficial judgements - consider that you would know exactly what I meant if I described someone as a "suit". Maybe he's just a guy who likes to dress well? Maybe he was born in a more conservative culture and that's just what people wear? But God help him if he shows up to the interview in it.

300bps 13y ago

Want to be really classy in an interview? Leave your smart, dumb or average phone at home.

theorique 13y ago
They aren't talking about using a phone in an interview. A smart phone is a valuable tool for a professional. Being able to send an email or call from the road when you're running late, or to receive same when your counterpart is running late - people expect this nowadays. Of course, during the actual interview, it should go without saying to put it on silent and leave it in your pocket or purse.

goggles99 13y ago

>Man, the iPhone 5 really is not a very good example here. The iPhone 5 is a great example. The iPhone 3gs or 4 is hardly distinguishable and costs 1/5 the price. You cannot play some high end games with those phones, but that shouldn't prevent one's economic improvement.