One of the first major hurdles I had to overcome as a first time intern was the question of “What do I wear?” Having been only eighteen at the time, it was confusing to figure out what was professional and still within my budget.
It may seem simple to some about what to wear, but it was a realization to me after a few weeks on the job that there seemed to be an unspoken dress code for interns and especially one for young women at the job.
Collectively is some of the advice, challenges, and lessons learned the hard way:
1. You will be judged heavily on your appearance
From first interview to final day, how you look matters to everyone. You as an intern are many times seen as a liability to the organization you are working for. You’re an outsider to be molded and who doesn’t know the company culture. If you are having a bad hair day or just didn’t have time to get in that load of laundry the day before, your supervisor will notice. For women, as much as I hate it, makeup was the norm and was pretty much expected (even at the small non-profit office I worked at). Besides, you never know when some important donor is going to just stop by for a visit and you’ll be stuck introducing yourself on the spot.
2. The line between “looking nice” and “looking sexy” is a gray zone
General rule which I have always stuck to is to aim for skirts no higher than about 3-4 inches above the knee. Pencil skirts are your friend. Low necklines are not. Neither are thin straps. Too many times, I have seen somebody who is looking great, but in their first professional teaching or internship setting is showing off more skin than other people (i.e. supervisors) would like. The advice I got was just to get a simple business suit, but that can be easier said than done on a tight budget. Go with separates as you can mix and match to spread out a limited wardrobe.
3. If you have some of the same wardrobe items as your boss, this is a good sign (mostly)
This actually happened to me. My supervisor had the same purple turtleneck as I did. It confirmed that my fashion choices were appropriate. However a word of caution is to make it your own. Just because you see somebody else’s style that you want to imitate does not mean you should look like twins. I tried to make sure I added my own twist and tried to wear it when my supervisor wasn’t.
4. Be comfortable with your footwear
I always got sent out on the worst errands when I was wearing shoes that were too tight or too tall. Well made flats are your friend. If you want to wear those 3 inch heels go for it, but be prepared for some errand runs from hell.
5. Confidence is key
Buy your stuff cheaply and put together outfits you feel confident in. If you are confident, this can help override any fashion faux pas that may arise on the job. If you do have a wardrobe malfunction (as I have had at least 3 times) just laugh it off. Sure it can be embarrassing, but if you laugh and joke about it people will forget about it sooner. If you really get in trouble with something though, just apologize and move on. You’re there to learn so it comes with the territory.
