What clothes for college student and job interviews/career fair? Hoping for internship

[Janeway]

What should I buy for my sons for the upcoming career fairs and later, interviews? The first career fair is this weekend and both are hoping to get internships for next summer. One is going in to computer engineering but the other in to business type career. I am thinking the computer engineering one might be able to go a little less formal than the business one? Please help me and be as specific as you think you should be. Thanks!

[BusyMom5]

I'd do full suit.  If he doesn't have one, see if there is a lending closet. 

[athena1277]

Seconding a suit.  Even if the job itself doesn’t require it.  A suit show they are serious about the job.  Make a good first impression.  

[Janeway]

14 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

I'd do full suit.  If he doesn't have one, see if there is a lending closet. 

 

11 minutes ago, athena1277 said:

Seconding a suit.  Even if the job itself doesn’t require it.  A suit show they are serious about the job.  Make a good first impression.  

What kind of suit? Matching pants and top in a gray? Or more of a sports jacket with other colored pants? Or like what he would have worn to a funeral? He has funeral clothes...gray shirt, tie, and black pants with black dress shoes that he polishes.

[BusyMom5]

29 minutes ago, Janeway said:

 

What kind of suit? Matching pants and top in a gray? Or more of a sports jacket with other colored pants? Or like what he would have worn to a funeral? He has funeral clothes...gray shirt, tie, and black pants with black dress shoes that he polishes.

Gray, blue, or black pants and jacket.  Solid top- blue or white- ironed well and not see-through.  Tie of your choice, patterns are fine.  Dress shoes.

[pinball]

I think white shirts only for men is a much more professional look. 
 

And please please please…undershirts! with sleeves! 

[Arcadia]

What the mortgage officers in banks wear in your area. My husband is a hardware engineer and he goes to interviews in long sleeve shirt, chino pants and semi-formal shoes. The students he interview for internships or fresh graduate jobs also don’t wear a jacket/blazer. For banking related career fairs, people do tend to turn up in best man attire; white long sleeve shirt with dark color suit. We rarely see guys wearing ties here.

[livetoread]

At my kids' public university, the men wear suits to the career fair whether business or tech. Could wear pants and sport coat with tie and still fit in. 

[catz]

My kid just graduated in STEM and a lot of them would do dockers or dress pants, a button shirt, and some would do a tie for campus career fair the past couple years.  This was for a STEM/engineering career fair.   The business crew would generally dress a little more on campus for their career fair.  Though the dress pants, tie, shirt would certainly pass.  Especially for a younger student.  Actually if you google for his college, it specifically recommends business casual for the STEM career fair.  Maybe there are notes online about the fairs your kids are attending on their campuses.

My kid recently landed a great, competitive job at a reasonably large at known STEM company with a very casual day to day dress code, so if the engineer does not have a suit, I would not necessarily run out and buy one.  Especially if just applying for internships.

When my kid was in the final rounds for the job he just got a lot of the notes on the job sites (fairly large company) said not to exceed business casual for final interviews from current employees.  So if they are interested in certain companies and opportunities, they may want to research dress codes for them as they go into final interview.  I think maybe going a step up from their day to day dress code is called for.  Anyway, as they get final interviews, good to dig around in glassdoor or indeed.  My kid did his final interview without tie in a dress shirt.  The people interviewing him were in jeans, t-shirts, etc.  For sales, customer facing roles, etc I am sure it is different.

ETA - this caused me to go dig around.  My kid's big 10 campus actually recommends business casual for all their career fairs (they have a number STEM, business, general, arts, etc).  I'd definitely google for the fairs they are attending to see if there are recommendations.

Edited September 16, 2023 by catz

[Harriet Vane]

Definitely a suit for both of them (jacket, pants, conservative but high quality tie).

[regentrude]

Check the school's requirements.  Our uni has a dress code for career fair and requires suit and tie for men. Yes, industry dress in comp sci is informal, but career fair dress is the same for all majors. 

[Sneezyone]

Boys/masc girls: suit jacket and slacks, collared shirt, unbuttoned x2 plus NO TIE, leather shoes. 

Women/fem boys: fitted jacket, pale dress shirt, unbuttoned x2, slacks or knee-length skirt.

IN ALL CASES, hose and heels are not necessary.

As a southern resident and hiring committee member, this is PLENTY. Everything else looks like trying too hard and mom/dad advice.

Edited September 16, 2023 by Sneezyone