By now, most college students have started their jobs and internships for the summer. After the first-day jitters, paperwork and orientation, you’re probably starting to feel comfortable in the workplace. Don’t give way to bad habits with these typical intern mistakes and solutions:

Wardrobe Malfunctions
When your standard summer uniform consists of a worn-in pair of Levi cutoffs and beat-up gladiator sandals, transitioning into an intern-appropriate wardrobe can be a little difficult. If you’re not familiar with the ways of the working world, you may show up to work overdressed or under-dressed. Play it safe with office appropriate dresses and skirts while getting a feel for your office’s choice of couture.

No Questions/Ideas
You landed the interview, wooed your supervisor and got the offer for the internship. Now what? Impressing the higher-ups before beginning work is only half the battle. Don’t be surprised when you’re asked for ideas or input at work or in meetings.  If you’re too startled to come up with anything, remember this: you were chosen for the position for a reason. Get your shine on and come up with something!

Overspending
If you’re working in a big city, be prepared to shell out some dough. Your metro fare and lunch will run up a pretty large tab, especially in Manhattan. $9 for a sandwich? Crazy! Avoid the spend-shock and prepare a budget ahead of time.

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Before I got my first real job, I had really low expectations. Thanks to “The Office,” a job meant a cubicle, water cooler conversation, and the occasional casual Friday. And unfortunately for me, the stereotype matched reality. I began my work-study job  on campus at the beginning of the year, eager to make some extra cash. While having the extra money is great, the actual job isn’t so fun.

But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been valuable. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from my menial job that will help me out when I apply for my first real job:

Always look busy

If you have a boss who’s too preoccupied to notice what you’re doing at all times of the day, don’t look at it as a “get-out-of-jail-free” card. When things slow down, they will notice that your TMZ webpage is always open and that you’re texting at 85wpm. Even when you think there’s no one watching, put a little show on. There are eyes everywhere. Not to mention, the sounds of constant texting can drive a cubicle-mate crazy!

Take advantage of the freebies.

When I organize my office’s supply closet three times a week, I always notice the extra file folders, bags of paperclips and water bottles that don’t have a home. With permission, see what you can take home. We’re broke college students and we all know that every little bit helps.

Make new friends

From 9 to 5, your coworkers will be your only friends/enemies/frenemies in sight. Everyone doesn’t have a sparkling personality, so beware of the grouchy guys and girls in the office. But as my mom always says, you must give respect to get it. Organize a get together after work one day to bond — you’ll have new people to share your pain with at work. And trust me, there’s no better way to make new friends than go to a happy hour with cheap beer and great wings. While you may never hang out with your work friends on the weekend, it will make your life SO much easier if you have someone to talk to during the day.

Maintain your poker face

Yes, you’re bored out of your mind. But saving face and pasting a smile on will keep you from being pegged as “unenthusiastic.” There are many things in life that will leave us unhappy. Use all the downtime you have to practice looking like a cheerful worker…and maybe you’ll actually end up feeling like one in the end.

Skills, skills, skills

Sure, filing papers and getting coffee doesn’t equate to working in someone’s fashion closet or movie set. But there are many skills that you can take away from the most snooze-worthy jobs. Those phone calls you make to your company’s foreign associates and the parties you help throw could lead to a great human resources or clerical job after graduation. No matter what career path you take after graduation, you’re going to have to start at the bottom. Filing papers and knowing how to make lunch reservations is a universal skill. It’s pretty likely that your new job will have the word “assistant” after it, so knowing how to be an assistant, AKA knowing how to do all the mundane tasks that no one wants to do, will be invaluable on your resume.

Whether you’re graduating this spring or you’re hunting for a summer internship, you’re probably stressed about acing your interviews. To help alleviate some of that stress, we reached out to the experts from Excelle and asked them for their tips on making a great first impression. Check back every Thursday for more helpful career tips and articles!

This is another broad interview question that can take you down the wrong road unless you’ve done some thinking ahead of time. This question is purely about selling yourself. Think of yourself as the product. Why should the customer buy?

The Wrong Track
Spencer answers by saying, “Because I need and want a job.” That’s nice, but the bottom line here is, “What can you do for us?”

Mariana says, “I’m a hard worker and really want to work for this company.” The majority of people think of themselves as hard workers — and why this company?

The Right Track
Tom’s answer to this question is, “Because I’m a good fit for the position.” Getting warmer, but more details, please.

Sharon answers, “I have what it takes to solve problems and do the job.” This is the best answer so far. Expand on this, and you’ve got it.

Whether you’re graduating this spring or you’re hunting for a summer internship, you’re probably stressed about acing your interviews. To help alleviate some of that stress, we reached out to the experts from Excelle and asked them for their tips on making a great first impression. Check back every Thursday for more helpful career tips and articles!

By: Not Just The Kitchen for Divine Caroline

The dreaded job interview. No matter your resume and talents if you mess this up you won’t get that job. In today’s tough economy you need every possible edge. It can be a simple equation: You want to be liked—not hated.

Here are ten simple things to do that will dramatically increase your chances: from wearing the right expression, to knowing what not to say, to never ever breaking a sweat.

1. Don’t be a Smiley Face
Excessive smiling in a job interview is seen for what it is—nervousness and a lack of confidence. A smiley face exudes phoniness, which will quickly be picked up by the interviewer. Instead be thoughtful and pleasant. Smile when there’s something to smile about. Do a practice run in front of a mirror or friend.

2. Don’t be a Know-It-None
Your job is to be knowledgeable about the company for which you’re interviewing. Random facts about last night’s episode of Dancing With the Stars episode or your favorite blog will not get you the job. Never feel you have to fill an interview with small talk. Find ways to talk about serious subjects related to the industry or company. Pockets of silence are better than padding an interview with random babble.

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Whether you’re graduating this spring or you’re hunting for a summer internship, you’re probably stressed about acing your interviews. To help alleviate some of that stress, we reached out to the experts from Excelle and asked them for their tips on making a great first impression. Check back every Thursday for more helpful career tips and articles!

In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. That’s when the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don’t cost you a shot at the job.

1. Using a Cutesy Email Address for Correspondence

Example: cutiepie@domain.com, or — far worse — something like sexkitten@domain.com.

You Might Think: It’s a clever, memorable email address everyone will get a kick out of.

The Employer Will Probably Think: I can’t believe someone would actually list this email address on her resume, let alone use it to correspond with me. Will she do the same thing on the job if I hire her? Yikes! Read More »

As the semester comes to a close, one thing that’s on my mind (and the minds of most everyone I know) besides finals and start-of-summer parties is getting a job.

Whether it’s a summer job, internship, or, if you’re graduating like I am, an entry-level position into a career, finding a job is a top priority.  However, we all know that isn’t as easy as we’d like it to be.  Competition for jobs is higher than ever with the tough job market we’re in, which is why you have to stand out in the sea off all the other job/internship applicants out there.

But before you purchase some sort of ridiculous costume or do the dirty with your interviewer in attempts to stick out in his or her mind, try a few of these more professional ideas:

1.  Network, network, network – You’ve heard it before, and I’m telling you again: networking is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to helping you get a job.  Think you don’t have connections?  Think again.  Reach out to everyone you know–professors, friends, coworkers, your parents–you never know who has info on great job openings. There are also tons of online groups catered to all sorts of fields that set up networking events in cities across the country. Sign up and go to these; you will meet tons of people in your field that can help you out down the road.

2. Utilize your school’s career center – Sometimes universities get job listings that don’t go into public listings.  You may not find anything the first time, but keep checking, because new jobs open up all the time.  Plus, your career center can offer more than just job listings.  Depending on your university, you can get career counseling, have your resume checked, and even do mock interviews. Read More »