Congratulations! After hours of perfecting your resume, writing cover letter after cover letter and weeks of interviewing for an position, you did it! You’ve secured yourself an internship! Now that you’re past the first step, it’s time to tackle the next one: What to wear.
Deciding what to wear and how to dress for your internship can be just as nerve wracking as waiting to hear you’ve gotten the position. Is it professional or casual? Jeans or no jeans? Does this outfit say “look at me”?
Don’t panic. Check out these tips for when you find yourself standing in your closet with absolutely no clue what to wear.
Always be comfortable
Honestly, this is my first rule when picking out an outfit for any occasion. Obviously you want to look good too, but first and foremost you don’t want to worry about how long you’ll be able to last in those heels or deal with that incredibly chic but mildly restricting jacket.
Think about the industry
Certain industries are known for being a little more lax in their dress than others. If you’re interning in a more creative role such as marketing, PR or design, you’ll probably be able to add a little more flair and personality to your outfit versus if you are a law, finance or business intern.
Dress to impress
As they say, “Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want.” With that being said, just because everyone else shows up to work in jeans and t-shirt doesn’t necessarily mean that you should too. Especially when you’ve just started working there.
It’s work, not the weekend
Even if the dress code is casual, try to refrain from being too relaxed. Leave the ripped jeans at home and the shorter skirts for the weekend. And please, don’t even think about wearing that so cute but so not work appropriate sheer top!
When in doubt, ask
If worse comes to worse, you can always ask your supervisor or even another employee that’s been at the company longer than you. Rather than stressing yourself out, make it easy and just ask someone about the do’s and don’ts of what to wear.