Your mind is spinning, nervous fretting over your internship interview. The resume? Polished, printed seven times, on cardstock. The references? Signed, stamped, ready to deliver. But you still have no idea what you should wear.
It’s a creative shop, I’m sure, where people are walking around in jeans and flip-flops, or stylized business casual. Your attire leaves an important impression on the agency, we all know that. So what should you wear?
Well, we’re guys here, but I know of only one answer: A suit.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t overdress in advertising. Don’t feel self-conscious that you’ll be the only kid walking around the agency in a suit. You WILL be the only kid walking around in a suit, and everyone will know you’re there for an interview. But any young male wearing a well-tailored suit with a sharp tie and nice shoes will make an impression that says, “I have enough self-assurance to wear this and impress whomever I may meet.”
Now, on the other hand, I doubt women should wear business suits – while a suit on a man can be dressed up or down, fashionably or not, a business suit on a female quite often looks conservative. You’re not trying to look like the district attorney, here, and you’re not interviewing in finance. Frankly, that’s where a business suit comes into play. Women should be dressed-up, of course, but with a little bit of style and personality.
The bottom line is that when you’re going on an interview, whether male or female, interviewing for an account internship, a planning internship, or anything in between, you want to feel confident and professional. No matter how casual the agency may be, remember this: they’ve seen it all before. They’ve seen and hired kids in suits, kids in jeans, women in skirts, etc. So never feel like you’re setting the wrong impression. Always set your impression.
