Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Professional dress is an important component of any professional experience, including career fairs, interviews and daily work environment. While each work environment has a different dress code, we encourage all interviewees and prospective employees to wear business professional or at minimum business casual attire. The Center for Career and Professional Development requires a minimum dress of business casual to attend any career fair on campus.
Typically, business professional dress is more formal than business casual and often includes the wearing of suits, blazers and ties. Business casual dress typically includes khaki or dark slacks, no tie, cardigans and sweaters. The line between business professional and business casual can feel fluid at times, but it is often easier to recognize what professional dress is not. It does not include activewear, tennis shoes, sweatshirts, jeans with holes, leggings, etc.
If you do not own professional clothing or forgot to pack them from home, students can borrow professional clothing for free from CCPD’s Career Closet.
You can find additional professional dress tips here.
CCPD Recommendations
We highly encourage students to start purchasing professional outfit pieces a little at a time, especially during your upper-level years. Often, a nice set of dark slacks, a coordinating blazer, a button-down top and a pair of comfortable dress shoes is a great way to start a collection.