16 May 2009

Dress Code: Business Casual versus Casual

Beginning an internship "sight unseen" (or, excuse the pun: site unseen) can be nerve-wracking, especially in terms of dressing for the first day. Without benefit of an on-site interview or tour, you won't have a mental image of how people dress at the site.

If you ask the intern coordinator or a mentor about what to wear (smart!), you might hear the phrase business casual, not to be confused with casual.

Business casual means not quite as formal as "business" but definitely not just plain casual.

Business: wear a suit.
Business casual: wear the trousers and a shirt.

Business: wear a tie.
Business casual: typically, no tie.

Business: wear a long skirt.
Business casual: skirt of any length (but no micro skirts).

The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2008 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com

1 comment:

Kevin said...

Don't forget "very casual" as my current internship described the dress code. This dress code pretty much means don't come in naked, as far as I can tell.