The first interview I had for an internship was a casual afternoon meet up at a coffee shop. I wore a men’s oversized pullover as a dress paired with light yellow floral knee-highs. I finished off the outfit with an old thrift store pair of Bass saddle shoes. At least I was confident, right? To this day I’m lost as to why I got that internship.
Well, clearly I made some sort of impression. Maybe I stuck out to her, showing my personal style rather than the typical fashion student wearing only the most stylish shade of black. If I had to go back, I probably would have tweaked the outfit choice to play it a bit safer. Remember, the image you show up to an interview with is the image an employer will think of next to your resume when they have to decide if you get the job or internship. Usually, your image gets linked to possible characteristics however cliché judging books by their cover may be.
This Fashionista accomplishes a put together business look but integrates some of her own style effectively. Blazers are classic. Black is classic. This means you can never go wrong with those staples. The floral shirt brightens up the outfit and the high-waisted pants show some style. Shoes are supposed to be the basic, comfortable element that ties the outfit together, which is exactly what these black flats do. High heels or uncomfortable shoes could distract you or make you walk funny, while bright and exciting shoes will distract the interviewer.
We learn about how important first impressions are when we are kids. Changing an individual’s first impression of you is hard because it’s their first memory, a memory that stands at the foundation of your professional or personal relationship. The foundation needs to be strong to carry more weight, and the strength of the first impressions you make need to carry you through application and interview processes. This doesn’t mean to just Google search “what to wear on an interview” and just copy that. Although I have definitely Googled that, I always choose to wear something that shows who I am. Being professional is equally as important, which is why I have sadly retired my yellow floral knee-highs.
One Simple Change: In order to make this more college-friendly, switch the dress pants for a pair of jeans. Blazers are classic and sharp, but aren’t all business when paired with something more casual, so this Fashionista can go out after she nails the interview.
