Part of a Positive Internship Experience is Proper Attire
Posted on April 8, 2011 | No Comments
Candice Arnold asked:
There really is no excuse for not wearing the proper clothes during your internship. Usually when you interview for an internship, as when interviewing for a job, there’s a point when the interviewer asks if you have any questions of your own; that’s the time to ask about dress code, among other things. But if you forget, err on the side of caution and dress the way the interviewer was dressed. If you show up to your internship dressed similarly to your interviewer, you should be fine, as most interviews aren’t informal events where interviewers come in wearing jeans. Even if someone pulls you aside and says, “You don’t have to wear a suit to work every day. Only supervisors and department managers have to do that,” you’ll know you made the right choice. On the other hand, dressing too casually could send the message that you don’t care enough about your appearance or, worse, that you don’t care enough about the company to take the time to learn the dress code before your internship began.
Remember, your internship is a trial run with a company you may want to work for after graduation. Making a good impression on your future coworkers is as important as making a good impression on the boss. These are the people who will be your mentors and networking contacts while you’re there. Baggy pants and flip flops are great on campus, but not in an office environment. Some places allow women to wear open-toed sandals, but I haven’t yet heard of any that condone flip flops, however comfortable they may be – not to mention the fact that sometimes they can actually be a safety hazard. Beyond that, the constant flap-flap-flapping sound they make can be quite annoying to some people. Dress codes don’t limit themselves to clothes and shoes.
There are actually places – usually restaurants – where men have to be clean shaven. Many offices request that men either keep their hair cut short or do something to keep longer hair under control, like wearing it in a ponytail. Extra long finger nails are not only inappropriate in most office settings, they, like flip-flops, can be dangerous. In this era of tattoos and body piercings, it’s important to know whether or not it’s okay to have visible tattoos or visible piercings anywhere other than the ears. It’s also important to know whether or not multiple ear piercings are permitted.
Of course, the dress code depends on the place of business. Graphic design companies may have more relaxed dress codes than accounting firms. Sometimes dress code depends on whether or not you will be interacting with clients or the general public. For example, a receptionist might have to dress more formally than a customer service rep who works in the company’s call center because the receptionist interacts with clients and members of the general public face-to-face but the customer service rep doesn’t.
It’s important to learn the dress code of the office where you’ll be working during your internship [http://www.collegerecruiter.com/internship] . Coming in dressed similarly to everyone else shows that you care about your appearance and that you care about being a good fit with the company as well. So take the time to ask either during the interview or any time in the days before your internship is actually scheduled to begin. You’ll do yourself a world of good.
Kansieo.com
There really is no excuse for not wearing the proper clothes during your internship. Usually when you interview for an internship, as when interviewing for a job, there’s a point when the interviewer asks if you have any questions of your own; that’s the time to ask about dress code, among other things. But if you forget, err on the side of caution and dress the way the interviewer was dressed. If you show up to your internship dressed similarly to your interviewer, you should be fine, as most interviews aren’t informal events where interviewers come in wearing jeans. Even if someone pulls you aside and says, “You don’t have to wear a suit to work every day. Only supervisors and department managers have to do that,” you’ll know you made the right choice. On the other hand, dressing too casually could send the message that you don’t care enough about your appearance or, worse, that you don’t care enough about the company to take the time to learn the dress code before your internship began.
Remember, your internship is a trial run with a company you may want to work for after graduation. Making a good impression on your future coworkers is as important as making a good impression on the boss. These are the people who will be your mentors and networking contacts while you’re there. Baggy pants and flip flops are great on campus, but not in an office environment. Some places allow women to wear open-toed sandals, but I haven’t yet heard of any that condone flip flops, however comfortable they may be – not to mention the fact that sometimes they can actually be a safety hazard. Beyond that, the constant flap-flap-flapping sound they make can be quite annoying to some people. Dress codes don’t limit themselves to clothes and shoes.
There are actually places – usually restaurants – where men have to be clean shaven. Many offices request that men either keep their hair cut short or do something to keep longer hair under control, like wearing it in a ponytail. Extra long finger nails are not only inappropriate in most office settings, they, like flip-flops, can be dangerous. In this era of tattoos and body piercings, it’s important to know whether or not it’s okay to have visible tattoos or visible piercings anywhere other than the ears. It’s also important to know whether or not multiple ear piercings are permitted.
Of course, the dress code depends on the place of business. Graphic design companies may have more relaxed dress codes than accounting firms. Sometimes dress code depends on whether or not you will be interacting with clients or the general public. For example, a receptionist might have to dress more formally than a customer service rep who works in the company’s call center because the receptionist interacts with clients and members of the general public face-to-face but the customer service rep doesn’t.
It’s important to learn the dress code of the office where you’ll be working during your internship [http://www.collegerecruiter.com/internship] . Coming in dressed similarly to everyone else shows that you care about your appearance and that you care about being a good fit with the company as well. So take the time to ask either during the interview or any time in the days before your internship is actually scheduled to begin. You’ll do yourself a world of good.
Kansieo.com