Resumes, resumes, resumes! That’s what we hear every day by professors, career services, advisors, and our parents. Classes and clubs just aren’t enough, and hopefully you didn’t want a social life! Our Gmail accounts get filled with emails titled INTERNSHIPS: APPLY NOW every day to remind us that we need to make connections now as college students. So, what happens when we finally do get the internship of our dreams or at least one that will look good on paper? We stress about what to wear! Here’s a few tips to achieve that high-end look at a not so high end price.
So where are the dos and don’ts about how to look like the intelligent, savvy, fashionable college girls that we know we are? What’s important to know is what you wear to an internship is key to how you want to represent yourself to the company. Not only to the company but how the company is represented to the world. So, know that if you come to work wearing a disordered outfit that looks like you just rolled out of bed, it may affect your employer’s recommendations for you. This is your time to clean up your weekend outfits and show the world your classy and powerful beautiful selfs! So have fun with it and own it!
First, blazers, blazers, blazers. Owning a blazer is essential to looking classy and cute. What’s great about a blazer is you can find them at basically any popular store like H&M and Forever 21. Usually, blazers will run anywhere from $20-$30 and are the key to looking successful. The great thing about a blazer is you can have fun with them in any color and also wear them over any plain or creative shirt. Blazers make the outfit go from ordinary to professional. I would say own a few blazers to switch up outfits and have one very fun color.
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Dress pants are easy to find but hard to figure out how to make them look cute. With dress pants, I always get ones that are high-waisted because I feel they put the outfit together nicely. High-waisted are always my go-to since they are not only what’s in now, but also what will finish off the outfit. A nice option from dress pants are always dresses or pencil skirts. The only thing to be careful about with dresses and skirts are the lengths. Make sure they cover most of the thigh and do not reveal too much. You don’t want to wear a dress or a skirt that is too tight. The way to determine that is to ask yourself if you would wear that on the weekend. If it’s a yes, you may want to think twice. Make sure the length is appropriate and comfortable. You may be running around all day so you do not want to have to worry about pulling it down constantly. Comfort is key when having to either be sitting in an office all day or running around town running errands!
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Do pay attention to shoes. Be wary of wearing six-inch heels. You’re an intern after all, and you never know what errands you’ll have to run and do. You will not want to be running around in your nicest heels. If you can, wear a nice pair of flats or low heels. I love wearing flats and knowing that I will be comfortable and still professional. However, if you buy a new pair of flats, break them in before wearing them all day at work. Flats will tie the outfit up and are always cute to wear with dress pants or dresses. Stay away from wearing scuffed up shoes. Also, a necklace or watch is always a fun addition to your professional attire and will complete the outfit!
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One last thing to remember when you’re trying to figure out what to wear for an internship is take the first week or so to acquaint yourself with how everyone else dresses in the office. If they are all wearing jeans, then it is probably okay for you to wear the same. Just remember to be careful about being too sloppy and casual. If most people are wearing business casual, then you will want to follow that.
Picking the best professional attire is all about knowing your audience. Know what kind of internship you’re doing and what will work best for that first day. It’s all about variation. Just remember that you don’t have to start shopping at your mom’s favorite store or pay a crazy price for these internship outfits. Majority of the clothing items listed above can be found at popular stores for reasonable prices. No need to spend a crazy amount of money or not feel good in what you are wearing. So start readying those resumes and get your professional attire ready!