After a brutal semester that included 8am courses, hours lost at the library with your head inside a book, and voluminous essays, and rigorous final exams, summer has finally arrived. What are your plans? Partying, checking out the cuties on the beach, maybe traveling. Aside from traveling, you are essentially wasting your summer away. Why not use your 3 month time and find an internship? Typically they are unpaid and require a certain length of commitment; you might wonder why not just get a part time job and make money. The internship prevails because it can be the introduction into your chosen field.
You will get to peek through the window of your potential career and see if it is truly something you want to pursue. More importantly than that, it tells you what you do not want to do. If you hate collecting and analyzing samples in the molecular biology lab, then perhaps you should consider changing your major. However, if you enjoy the field, then this is an excellent opportunity to network, find a mentor, and, if you are particularly efficient, gain full time employment once it is completed. Internships provide you with skills that are applicable in the real world.
This stressful economy has changed the way graduates get jobs. In the past, many students would graduate and have their first entry-level job awaiting them; now, employers expect these graduates to have plenty of experience before even applying. Internships provide that. Therefore, if you have the time, commit to an internship and see what you can get out of it. Even if you dislike it, try to make it your own and draw something positive from it.

“If you’re properly attired, you’re hired. And if you’re not, I don’t care how ‘Qualified’ you may be – it will be a case of ‘clothes, but no cigar.’ ” ~Miss Piggy

It is the night before the interview for your dream job, and you are shivering with anticipation. You have your resume in your briefcase, have researched the company history, and have already prepared a response for that infamous query, “Why should we hire you?” However, you are still far from home plate: what will you wear?

Although, you may have all the necessary qualifications for a position and know the job forwards and backwards, but, you will not make the indelible impression required to get a job if your appearance leaves something to be desired.

First, plan your outfit the night before. No one can predict what will happen the morning of the interview: your child is sick, the breakfast burns, or the car battery dies. Any mishap can delay you; you do not want to end up either late or just sloppily throwing on your clothes.
Now, the most important thing is to dress the part. Note that for any job, whether the most professional law firm, the most casual retail store, or a fast food restaurant, it is imperative that you dress accordingly. Consider the interviewer’s perspective. If you had to interview candidates for a position, would you not find the person in the perfectly tailored suit and pressed shirt more endearing than the one in the ripped jeans, Kobe Bryant jersey, trucker hat, and sneakers? The interviewer will see that you are serious about the position when you do not come in dressed as if you have just strolled in while running errands.

Therefore, you can never really go wrong with a suit, but reserve the candy colored suits for Halloween or your next mixer. In fact, as a general rule, bright, neon colors are forbidden from interviews. A long sleeved, white, buttoned down collared shirt always works with suits. Men must wear ties, nothing too fancy, with a solid color or a simple pattern sufficing. Women must understand that their skirts cannot be either too short or too tight, nor can there shoes be too flashy. Also, it is essential for women to keep their hairstyles neat and clean, opting for a bun, chignon, or ponytail. Similarly, keep perfume, makeup and jewelry to a minimum. You would not want your interviewer to choke from the Estee Lauder perfume, go deaf from the clanking of bracelets and earrings, or wonder when if you moonlight as a Covergirl model.

In conclusion, having the skills, knowledge, and manners will only get you in the door. If you do not want to be tossed back out, make sure that your appearance is anything but average. Come dressed, polished, and smelling clean, and you just might leave that interview with a job.