What to Wear to an Internship Interview: A Top to Bottom Guide for the College Guy

By Ian Donnelly

Ideally, college is a place for growth—it’s where you get to explore your interests, follow your passions, and find your ideal career path. But it’s also a great opportunity to make valuable connections and gain some real-world experience, and there’s no better way to beef up your resume than by landing an internship.

While an internship isn’t technically a job (your paycheck— if you get one— will be sure to remind you of that fact) you’re still getting your feet wet in the job pool, and any good first impressions you make can come in handy once you graduate and begin your job hunt.

The best way to hit the ground running is by wowing your potential employer with a smart, sophisticated outfit—which, unfortunately, is not every guy’s strong suit. (Get it? Strong suit?) But all puns aside, dressing your best can make all the difference in a one-on-one interview, and uCribs is here to set the ground rules with our definitive guide to internship interview attire for men.

1. Head & Hair

Long, short, or anywhere in between, your hair should be as neat as possible. Wash it, comb it, and style it if need be. If your budget allows, get a trim, or if it fits your budget, go to a stylist and give them free reign. They’ll know what hairstyle looks best with your facial structure and can make sure you look professional.

As with your mop up top, the length of your facial hair is up to you, but keep it classy. If you have a beard, trim it one or two days before the interview. This will give it time to settle into an “I look this good every day” appearance.

However, long facial hair may require serious attention and professional-level grooming skills in order to look presentable for any interview.  If you’re unsure about how to properly groom a lengthy beard or fantastic mustache, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials that you can refer to for some trimming and shaping techniques. Just keep in mind that some industries have unspoken standards, and you may have to back up a serious wizard beard with a serious resume if you want to have a chance at employment.

2. Shirts

Besides the obvious error of wearing your oldest, grimiest t-shirt, this section is probably the most open-ended of this whole guide; the style, the fit, and the color of your button-down attire really boils down to what you feel the most confident in. Do you feel at home in a suit? Wear a suit. More of a dress shirt and slacks kind of guy? Go for it—you won’t be penalized for ditching the jacket and tie. Just make sure that your clothes fit properly and are immaculately clean. It’s also a good idea to invest in a lint roller, even if you don’t own animals.

You can even use a splash of color to stand out in the sea of gray, black, and navy suits that office environments tend to attract. It can’t hurt to make a statement with a unique shade for your button-down shirt, a tastefully bright tie, or even a bow tie if you’re feeling bold. Just don’t go overboard—no one will want to suffer through a blinding interview with your neon-colored suit.

3. Pants

Slacks are the gold standard of men’s interview wear—no jeans, no sweatpants, no shorts, and no ifs, ands, or buts about it. For every interview you go to, you need the following: a nice pair of classy pants, a belt, and a tucked in shirt to complete the professional, capable look.

A general rule of thumb is to match your shoes with your belt, but that doesn’t necessarily need to be a top priority on a college budget. As long as you have a black belt with a simple buckle, it can pair well with anything.

4. Footwear

You don’t need expensive, high-end shoes to look ready for a job. Just put on a decent pair of simple, classic dress shoes that go well with the rest of your attire. Don’t concern yourself with flaunting your impeccable taste in designer shoes, even if you are an everyday “hypebeast” kind of guy—as long as your shoes are clean and well-fitting you’re in the clear, but remember to shine or polish them if necessary.

While you can stick to a more simplistic look with your shoes, attention to detail matters when it comes to socks. No one, and I mean no one, rocks white socks in dress shoes. Doing so can be a big red flag for some traditional employers, so keep the Nike knee-highs out of the office. Odds are that a pair of grey, tan, or black socks will match whatever outfit you’re wearing. You can even spice it up with some fun patterns or designs to better showcase your personality—just make sure they aren’t too fun; it’s a job interview, so you must keep all sock wear tasteful like the rest of your outfit.

And there you have it: all the know-how you need to craft the perfect professional outfit. As long as you stick with these guidelines, you’re sure to ace any interview!

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