How to Dress for the Career Expo

By Robert Vanisko

The Career Expo and Graduate School Fair at Expo, hosted by the Toppel Career Center, is a great place to scout out different employers and graduate programs and put yourself out there for potential internships and jobs for the future.  A key to impressing these potential future employers is dressing well.

The way you dress can either make a great first impression or throw up some serious red flags, so it is important to dress well.  But what do you have to wear to be dressed well for the Career Expo?  Luckily, I work with a bunch of professional career advisors, and they have taught me a thing or two on this particular topic. Surprisingly enough, figuring out what to wear to the Career Expo and any event like it is actually pretty simple. 

If only he was wearing a jacket...

What to wear: 

You should dress exactly like you would if you were going to a job interview.  For guys, what that means is that you should be wearing a professional looking suit and dress shirt.  It is best to go with a solid colored suit, preferably navy or black.  You should wear a conservative tie, so it would probably be a good idea to leave those bright, pastel-colored ones home for the day.  Be sure to wear a matching belt and nice, polished shoes.  Please don’t wear white socks with your dress shoes; I did that once and I still haven’t heard the end of it.   For those of you gentlemen who do not know how to tie a tie just yet, this link should help.

Ideal dress for women also includes a professional looking suit, preferably navy, grey, black, or brown.   You can either be a pantsuit or skirt suit, but be sure to avoid short skirts and high slits.  Wear closed toed shoes, and wear your hair in a conservative style.  This following link is a good example of how to dress.

Now that you have a better idea of what to wear, I look forward to seeing all of you professionally dressed tomorrow!

Career Expo and the Graduate School Fair at Expo: September 13,  2012, 3pm – 7pm in the BankUnited Center.  This event is open only to UM students and alumni. For more information on the employers and graduate programs attending, click here.