There’s an odd paradox that often occurs with working-class individuals.

In an attempt to blend in, they sometimes engage in behaviors that only make them stand out more.

Focus on the workplace. You’re working-class trying to secure the promotion, or simply show to your colleagues that you are any bit as competent as they are.

And you develop certain tactics, certain habits, that you hope will eliminate any trace of the ‘class divide’.

But there’s an irony here. Those very ‘tactics’ often end up highlighting what you’re desperately trying to blur.

Let’s have a frank chat about those ten things that working-class people do to fit in that, oddly enough, simply make them stand out more.

Let’s highlight them, understand them, and perhaps, even re-evaluate them.

1) Overcompensating professionalism

One aspect where working-class individuals sometimes miss the mark is the attempt at overcompensating professionalism.

The workspace is a tricky ground. It’s a mix of being professional, but also allowing a certain amount of casualness to maintain a healthy working atmosphere.

Working-class individuals, a bit too worried about sliding down a slippery slope, can often tilt too much on the overly-serious side.

Now, maintaining professional decorum is crucial, no arguments there. But there’s something to be said about naturalness as well.

Overcompensating professionalism can often be interpreted as forced, making you stand out instead of blending in.

It’s the balance that matters, not tipping entirely on one side.

2) Trying too hard to ‘talk the talk’

Here’s a personal nugget from my journey.

When I first joined the corporate world, straight from a small town, my vocabulary was peppered with colloquialisms and phrases that aren’t common in the ‘executive suite’.

I thought I stood out like a sore thumb.

To fit in, I picked up the jargon. I threw around “leverage” and “touch base” animatedly in conversations, using buzzwords I barely understood, all in an attempt to fit in.

After a few embarrassing stumble-throughs in meetings, a well-wishing senior colleague pulled me aside and gave me a piece of advice I’ll never forget: “Speak in your own words. You don’t need to sound like a jargon-bible to be taken seriously.”

That was a game-changer for me.

Sure, it’s essential to understand the language of your industry, but trying too hard to ‘talk the talk’ simply draws attention to your insecurity and amplifies the divide you’re trying to bridge.

Own your authentic voice – it has more value than you may think.

3) Excessive punctuality

Being punctual and respecting other people’s time is basic professional etiquette.

Did you know that arriving excessively early for a meeting or an event can sometimes single you out?

When you’re always the first one there, waiting for others to arrive, it subtly signals over-eagerness or anxiety.

People often perceive those who are consistently early as anxious or neurotic.

Being on time? Absolutely. But keep in mind that excessive punctuality can be just as disruptive – or noticeable – as being habitually late.

4) Dressing over formally

Dressing formally for work is a norm in many industries. But there’s a fine line between maintaining a professional appearance and going overboard with ‘dressy’ clothes.

This reminds me of my first job. I consistently over-dressed – tuxedos, shiny dress shoes, flashy ties – in an effort to ‘play the part’.

But in the eyes of my coworkers, I stood out for all the wrong reasons. I looked like I was trying too hard to impress rather than focusing on doing a good job.

It’s important to remember – your work speaks louder than your attire.

Next time, before you reach for that top hat and tails, remember: Dress to impress, but don’t let your wardrobe choices draw attention away from your abilities and hard work.

5) Neglecting social events

Often, working-class individuals might feel the workplace is only for work and might shy away from taking part in any after-work or social activities.

They feel like they’re sticking to what’s important – their job.

In reality, unintentionally they’re isolating themselves from important team building experiences.

These informal settings often allow people to connect on a more personal level, aiding in the formation of stronger professional relationships.

Work isn’t just about clocking hours. Building relationships can often be equally important.

Shying away from social events might make you stand out and not in the way you’d want. It’s always worth to smile, take part, and foster those worthwhile connections.

6) Hiding your background

This is something deeply relatable for many of us working-class folks — trying to veil our humble roots in perceived sophistication or silence.

There’s this fear about our backgrounds, our experiences, making us lesser in some way.

The irony? By trying to hide it, we often alienate ourselves.

Our backgrounds, our experiences, they form us, they propel us forward. There’s strength in acknowledging that.

You’d be surprised how many people appreciate genuineness, authenticity, over a manufactured front.

It’s embracing our diverse pasts that create a vibrant present. Never feel the need to hide your roots.

It’s not about standing out, but about standing tall.

7) Overworking

Earlier in my career, I was notorious for my long hours. Home was merely for a few hours of sleep before I was back, nose-to-the-grindstone.

I thought it reflected my dedication, my commitment, in glaring neon lights. But it also made me stand out — and not necessarily for the right reasons.

Contrary to what I had believed, overworking didn’t cast me in the promising glow of a workaholic.

Instead, it sent signals that I had poor time management skills, that I wasn’t proficient enough to complete tasks within the working hours.

Did that realization sting? Absolutely.

It changed my perspective. I learned working smarter was far more important and impactful than simply working harder or longer.

Make sure to strike a balance and avoid drawing attention through needless overworking.

8) Maintaining an aloof persona

On the surface, keeping an aloof and detached persona at work might seem like a good idea.

You’re there to work, after all, not to make friends. Keeping personal and professional separated might look like the ‘smart’ route to take.

Here’s a twist though – purposefully being aloof can actually set you apart from the team, and not in a positive way.

Workplaces thrive on collaboration and communication.

People prefer working with colleagues they can engage with, rather than someone who’s always detached.

Assimilating with the team, having a friendly chat during lunch, genuinely inquiring about a colleague’s wellbeing – these often weave a sense of belonging, helping you to be part of the team, not an outlier.

9) Avoiding office politics

Office politics — the phrase might leave a bitter taste for many. It sounds murky, something to be kept at arm’s length.

And working-class folk often attempt to do just that, maintain distance, believing it will make them seem more focused and less gossipy.

Here’s a surprising spin though.

Completely avoiding office politics might actually end up making you seem disinterested or oblivious to the workplace dynamics.

Navigating office politics doesn’t mean indulging in rumor mills or backstabbing.

It’s about understanding the shared dynamics, being aware of how decisions are made, and being an active part of the community.

Positioning yourself completely outside the ring of office politics will only make you appear unengaged and ultimately mark you as an outsider.

10) Shying away from own voices

At the heart of it all, the most conspicuous thing you might do in an attempt to fit in is shying away from your own voice.

True, the corporate world might seem intimidating at times, but attempting to mask your thoughts or opinions to blend in will simply make you blend out.

Your voice, your ideas, they are unique and invaluable. Don’t silence your thoughts because they might not sound ‘corporate’ enough.

The best ideas often come from unique perspectives.

And remember, it’s one thing to evolve and grow in a professional setting, but it’s entirely another to muffle your voice in an attempt to fit in. 

Decoding the paradox

Peeling back the layers of the working-class and their behavior in a professional context is like peering into a bustling human microcosm – filled with nuance, subtlety, and dichotomy.

At the heart of it all, this seeming paradox of trying to blend in but standing out even more, feels heavily anchored in perceptions and stereotypes.

Renowned sociologist Erving Goffman once remarked, “All the world is not, of course, a stage, but the crucial ways in which it isn’t are not easy to specify.”

It’s through these words we uncover the crux of our exploration. As a working-class individual, is the corporate world a stage where you’re playing a part, where your authentic self takes a backseat?

Unmasking this dichotomy is about a step towards introspection, an opportunity to reflect on whether the actions intended to help us blend in, are in reality, amplifying our differences.

The workplace, is as Goffman suggests, not entirely a stage, and perhaps the ways in which it isn’t, could be an even more compelling exploration than the ways in which it is.