I have an interview in which my school’s careers office recommends I wear a suit and I’m fairly certain the accounting firm I’m interviewing with expects me to be wearing a suit…but I don’t have a suit with me.
Would not wearing a suit to the interview and instead wearing slacks and a long-sleeve dress button-down destroy my chances of getting this internship? I’m hoping they won’t care THAT much but I feel like I’m going to be heading into the interview already being rejected and I’m super nervous about it (and I never get nervous).
Basically, how important is wearing a suit when interviewing for professional stuff?
While it may not be a deal breaker, a properly fitting suit is an essential element of an adult’s wardrobe. If you don’t have one, consider getting one. You can actually find some really great suits at thrift shops, and there are some tailors that offer one-day turnarounds.
Accounting is still an older-school industry, so you would likely have plenty of reason to wear your suit again in the coming months and years.
As for “already rejected,” you will not likely be rejected outright, but looks are still important, and if you don’t look the part, it will probably be more difficult for you to impress the interviewers.
@siberiansheep , although recruiters and interviewers aren’t necessarily or by rule judgmental people, first impressions do matter in a professional setting. With that said, you can certainly get by with professional dress that is not a full-fledged tailored and matching suit set. You already have a dress shirt, slacks, and (I assume) dress shoes, so the only addition you’d need is a jacket and tie. As @chrisw mentioned, both of these items can be found for super cheap at a thrift or discount store - that’s exactly what I did and the suit jacket I bought from a thrift store worked out for my entire undergraduate career! I went to a thrift store with a family member, not even really looking for anything for myself, but noticed this nice mild gray suit jacket. I tried it on and it fit like a glove, looked at the tag and it was $2! Only problem I noticed with it was a broken button on the sleeve, but a dry cleaner fixed that at no extra charge the first time I brought it in for a cleaning. I wore that jacket with the rest of my professional wardrobe I had (a few pairs of cheap slacks, dress shirts, and ties that I had previously) and even though the gray jacket obviously didn’t “match” as a pair with the brown slacks and white or blue dress shirt I would wear with it, it certainly looked professional all put together. This look was perfectly acceptable for the interviews and job fairs I attended.
Your school may also have a professional wear sharing program where you may borrow some professional wear for interviews, ask your career center about that. Or you may possibly borrow from a friend or family member, at least for the immediate interview while you search for a few professional items for the future, such as a suit jacket at a thrift store. Best of luck!