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

By Kait Spong

The whole point of college is to prepare you for the real world’s responsibilities, commitments, and career paths. But there are plenty of opportunities that you can find during your pursuit of a degree that will give you a leg up in the job market. More and more students are taking advantage of internships to make their resumes shine, and there’s no reason why you can’t land a career-building gig of your own.

For many would-be interns, the interview is the most daunting part of the application process. Going from the comfort of campus into a polished business atmosphere can make you feel like a fish out of water, but as long as you have the foresight to step your professional, office-attire game up, you’ll come off as a highly-qualified interviewing machine. For women, this process may be a little more intimidating since the gender wage gap is still a stark reality in 2018; women make 80 cents to every dollar their male counterparts earn. And, despite this being the 21^st century, women continue to deal with unconscious biases in the workplace—sometimes driving them to work two or three times as hard to attain the same mobility as men. In fact, 48 percent of women believe they have to work twice as hard as men to experience the same opportunities in the workplace.

With all these obstacles in mind, it’s important to always bring your “A-game” to every job interview, starting with the most simplistic of efforts—what you wear. With this in mind, uCribs continues its series with our definitive guide to internship interview attire for women.

1. Makeup & Hair

Doing your makeup for an interview is all about simplicity—you want to make a good impression without overdoing it. While this task may sound more like a stressful regulation rather than good advice, the less you overthink it, the better.

A good rule of thumb is to choose shades within a close range of your skin tone. Opt for natural tones if you choose to wear eye shadow, and earth tones are a safe, easy bet as well. Instead of liquid eyeliner, you can use a pencil to achieve a softer, less harsh look, which pairs perfectly with some mascara on your bottom lashes to really accentuate their fullness. Whatever route you decide upon, keep in mind that a light, understated touch will always do the trick.

When it comes to doing your hair for an interview, it’s important to keep the context of your whole outfit in mind. Since most haircuts are geared towards a specific style, your hair is probably the least versatile component of your look, so it’s a good place to build an outfit from. Whether you rock a funky hairstyle or a more traditional cut, you should keep your style for interview day clean, conservative, and balanced enough to compliment your wardrobe, accessory choices, and makeup.

 2. Attire (Tops, Bottoms, and Dresses)

This is where women’s interview attire gets a bit more complicated. Unfortunately for the ladies, the differences between business formal attire and business casual attire are not as strictly defined as it is for men’s outfits. This leaves more room for your personality to shine through, but paradoxically, but it also makes it harder to gauge a suitable outfit.

Classic and simple are always your best bet. There are a few items you can always count on for a universally professional look—like a fitted, white button-down blouse, a fashion standard that comes in plenty of cuts that offer a unique upgrade the basic button-down look. Pair this with some black slacks or a knee-length pencil skirt and you’ve got the perfect outfit with a modern, polished style.

If you don’t consider yourself a button-up and slacks type of gal, there’s always the more traditional option of a dress, which are available in many different patterns and styles at an affordable cost—even for a student budget. Just keep that antiquated high school uniform rule in mind: your dress should rest at finger-tip length. Hey, we wouldn’t encourage it otherwise, but it’s an interview, and it’s important to keep professionalism in mind.

3. Accessories

Adding a tasteful accessory can be one of the best ways to showcase your style while accentuating your interview attire. A colorful scarf or a string-pendant necklace can take your outfit to the next level—just don’t overdo it with accessories. Adding one statement piece makes for a professional outfit, but too much jewelry or perfume can overwhelm even the highest of office fashionistas.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, don’t ever be afraid to express your style in an office setting, but you ultimately want the attention to be on you, not your outfit—even though, I must say, girl, you do know how to slay.

4. Footwear

You may already be picking up on the common theme throughout this guide, but in case you missed it, classic and simple is the way to be when it comes to internship interviews.  An interview is not the time to pull out your statement stilettos a la Carrie Bradshaw, but it’s not the place for your tennis shoes, either.

When in doubt, a pair of stylish fashion boots or even some simple Mary Janes can typically compliment any outfit you choose. Wedges, kitten heels, and Oxfords are also a good choice. Keep it comfortable, yet refined and professional for the ideal first impression. Remember: your educational background, prior student work experience, and future career goals should be the belle of the ball.

As your mom would always say, “Just be you, and I know they’re going to love you.” While we agree that statement wholeheartedly, we also encourage you to allow your look to reflect your maturity, your competence, and most importantly, your qualifications—making you a shoe-in for any internship on the horizon.

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