How to dress for an entry level IT internship??

[PeeluckyDuckee]

I haven't been in an interview for the past 3yrs, neither have I been in an interview for such a job. The last interview I've been in was for McD's, so quite a difference there

The internship could lead to a job further in. I have two interviews coming up. There's one interview where the company interviews 2 individual but only picks one (between me and another classmate). In the second interview, I'm competing against 3 other classmates, and the company chooses 2 out of us 4 for the internship. Both of these are med-large sized companies.

Any help as to what's appropriate to wear would be great. Also the kinds of questions that may pop up that may throw me out of the loop. Thx fellas.

Plucky

 

[StageLeft]

Personally I'd wear nice pants with shirt and tie. Maybe a suit, but maybe not. I think a shirt and tie is a good middle ground because nobody will consider you overdressing there, or even underdressing and sometimes a full suit can...

One question they might ask is "If I told you you had a good body would you hold it against me?"

 

[Alphathree33]

Jacket and tie.

 

[LordSnailz]

khakis and a nice shirt with a tie ... oh yeah and some nice shoes ...

 

[juiio]

For an interview, dress one level above what they wear to work. You don't want to be in a suit if the person interviewing you is in sweatpants and flipflops.

 

[Saltin]

Always a suit if you have one. Always. Likely the IT guys at the interview won't be dressed up like that, but it matters not. You want to let them know you are serious and professional. Your dress can go a long way toward making that clear.
While you are there, look and see how the head IT guy dresses. Make note. If you get the job, show up for your first day dressed a little bit better than he was on interview day. You will fit right in.

 

[Ameesh]

long tail tuxedo, cummerbund, and bow tie.

 

[TrevorK]

<< Always a suit if you have one. Always. Likely the IT guys at the interview won't be dressed up like that, but it matters not. You want to let them know you are serious and professional. Your dress can go a long way toward making that clear.
While you are there, look and see how the head IT guy dresses. Make note. If you get the job, show up for your first day dressed a little bit better than he was on interview day. You will fit right in. >>



You NEVER dress better than your boss on purpose.





Trevor

 

[Ameesh]

top hat and cane too if your feeling good.

 

[kt]

When in doubt.. ASK! Doesn't hurt to ask you know.. it's better than trying to guess when you could get your answer right away by just asking. Don't be afraid to ask, in fact, that's one of the quality they would look for in a candidate. Save you and them time if you just ask someone who knows for sure.

 

[aiex]

<< long tail tuxedo, cummerbund, and bow tie. >>



Don't forget that bow tie must be a proper one not one of those s**ty clip on things


Alex

 

[Pepsei]

go to this site for common questions

a coat & tie, with nice pants

it's better to over dress than under

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

lol, I think a longtail tuxedo, top hat, and a cane is going just a tad far Keep in mind that I usually wear just jeans and a dress shirt (not tucked in) to school, my clothing selection is pretty limited. Went out yesterday and picked up my very first pair of dress pant

"If I told you you had a good body would you hold it against me?" - depends if I get a male or female interviewer hehe, jk.

Dress pant and dress shirt I have. But I don't have the full suit, you know, one of those black long sleeve overcoat for the full suit look. Perhaps I should finally get one just for the occasion. Hmmm...

Getting a good first impression is what I want, but don't want to give the impression that I'm just all looks and nothing much else.
Firm grip on handshake, eye contact, ask questions, don't sit before you're asked. That sort of thing, correct?

Any questions that "might" be asked of me? I find one of the harder questions is "tell me about yourself". You can talk about your job history, education, how many kids you have and what not, but that doesn't really tell them about yourself, does it? How do you answer that question?

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

Pepsei, much thanks for the site link. That'll really give me a heads up on things Thanks!

 

[OutHouse]

>> khakis and a nice shirt with a tie ... oh yeah and some nice shoes ...

standard uniform for IT geeks.

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

what?! you mean no sneakers?! damn Haha, wonder what the heck the interviewer might think if you walked in with a full suit, but wore sneakers, haha!!

 

[Descartes]

Man, tie for IT people? For my first job at WorldCom, I showed up in a tie and they said, "you wear a tie again you're fired."

Needless to say, I didn't wear a tie again

I haven't worn a tie in years. I dress "business casual." That usually entails: chinos, business dress shoes, sport shirt, and my wool jacket for when it's cold.

You know, the easiest solution to your problem would be to simply call and ask. When starting a new job, I always inquire as to what dress is appropriate. If you over-dress, you will reeeeeeek of inexperience. If you underdress, you'll reeeeeeeek or arrogance (or apathy, neither are good).

Choose your poison

 

[uclaxman]

go naked
im sure it will get you far....

 

[Saltin]

<< You NEVER dress better than your boss on purpose. >>



Maybe if you want to be his underling forever.
I always tried to dress a bit better than everyone I worked with. Now I'm the boss. Obviously it's not because of the dress, but everything helps. Dress is subliminal alot of the time. Look like you're in charge and sooner or later you just may be.
To each thier own. Some people don't like to rock the boat. But to say you should "NEVER" is just not right. Calculated risk, use at you see fit.

 

[Woodie]

Enough advice about the dress-code already, let's help him get the job.

"Tell me about yourself?" Not a great question, but not uncommon. Answer it by telling a little story about a challenge you faced and how you handled it. Use the story to outline your positive qualities: Like--I read the manual (thorough), researched the problem on the Internet (familiar with other resources), and solved it quickly. or: I built a copy of it (the problem) on my home network (more technical than many, also networking knowledge), and worked throught the night to figure it out (dedicated, hard-working, willing to get your hands dirty.)

Ask them questions, like: "Give me a typical assignment or problem you'd give to an intern, and I'll tell you how I would solve it." Then give them a high-level outline or what steps you'd take to complete the task, and what resources you'd use to do it. (Like manuals, online forums or publications, your particular skills, etc..) This is your chance to find out what they really want you to do, and their chance to see how you would approach a particular task.

BTW, if you're interviewing with an insurance co in my state, drop me a PM.

--Woodie

 

[neovan]

C'mon...you're an IT guy! You don't have to wear a shirt and tie. Just wear khakis and and polo shirt that you can tuck in...oh yeah...don't forget to comb your hair!

 

Business casual.

 

[Platypus]

Wear this!

 

[Cal166]

Might I Add, A Pen Protector is Always Nice. Shows That You Can Take Good Care Of Your Office Supplies.

 

[dirtboy]

Dress poorly and you won't get the job.

Why?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING!!!

When your future employer sees you for the first time, what do you want them to think of you as? In the first few seconds you meet someone, you will form an impression that will last. So, always over dress.

Wear nice pants and shoes. Where a dress shirt and a tie. If you don't have a suit, get a sports coat.

I always make it a point to dress as well as possible when going on an interview. Because if it came down to you and someone else for the job, you don't want them to get it just because they know how to dress professionally.

When you get the job, you'll find out the companies dress code. At that point in time, you dress accordingly. Until then, always dress well!