What are the best tips for ending an internship positively? 

This week in our Summer Associate Series,* as the summer starts to wind down (for some, at least!), I thought we'd take a look back at some of our best posts on how to wrap up your summers, whether they be as summer associates or interns.

(If you do still have a few weeks of work left, though, you may want to check out our post on how to get the work you want, and how to network when you're at the bottom of the ladder.)

Readers, what are your best tips for interns on how to end on a strong note? How important is the home stretch in terms of making an impression?

(*Name aside, we hope this series will be helpful to ANY intern, whether you're a law student or another woman interning in a conservative office for the summer.)  Check out our previous posts on general summer associate style, what to wear for the creative summer associate events, general business etiquette tips, and business lunch etiquette tips.

• How to end an internship gracefully
• Should you accept a job offer on the spot?  The economy and hiring market hasn't changed that much since we first talked about this issue back in 2011 — readers, I'm curious what you think today.

• If, as part of your review, you get compliments on your work, you may want to read our advice on how to accept praise gracefully
• What to say in your exit interview (and what not to say)
• How to use LinkedIn to keep in touch with soon-to-be former colleagues
• What to do with your company email after you leave

Finally, if you happen to be moving as your internship comes to a close, you may want to try out the tips in our type A guide to moving.

Readers, what other things should be on interns' radars for the home stretch? What are your best tips for ending an internship on a high note?

Some must-read business books for women — update coming soon!

2020 updated images (orange sunset) via Stencil. Originally pictured: Sun setting over Myrtleford, Victoria, originally uploaded to Flickr by James Jardine. (Gorgeous!)

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This week, in our Summer Associate Series*: what are some of the business etiquette tips that summer associates and interns should know? Etiquette can often be one of the hardest things for schools and mentors to impart — but of course it matters, and business etiquette is something we've talked about a LOT through the years.

Readers already working: what are the biggest business etiquette tips you wish interns and SAs knew? Which are the biggest blunders you see (from both the guys and the gals)? Summer associates and interns: what are your biggest areas of confusion? 

(*Name aside, we hope this series will be helpful to ANY intern, whether you're a law student or another woman interning in a conservative office for the summer.)  Check out our previous posts on general summer associate style and what to wear for the creative summer associate events. (Stay tuned next week when we specifically talk about dining etiquette.)  

• Here are some of the biggest internship etiquette blunders we've seen
• how to deal if you're paired with a “mentor” who doesn't like you (and how to handle the chance meeting with the office VIP)
• how to be humble but professional
• when to use last names in a professional setting — and how to react when you're called the wrong name
• how to travel with your coworkers
• whether you should take personal calls on the clock
• whether headphones are appropriate at work
• how private to keep your personal life (or at least your expectations of privacy)

Readers, what are some of the etiquette issues you're seeing at your offices this summer? (Fun question: do you chalk it up to “newbies!” or “generational divide”?)

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What should you wear for your internship or summer associateship? Welcome to the first installment of our Summer Associate Series! Name aside, we hope this series will be helpful to ANY intern, whether you're a law student or another woman interning in a conservative office for the summer.

First up in our series: WHAT TO WEAR? How can you build your wardrobe without going bust? What's the best way to look professional on a budget?

• What not to wear as a summer associate or intern — ladies, you may not even realize what can put you in the danger zone! Finer points of this: which skirts are too short (pictured), when girly clothes become unprofessional, which shoes not to wear, and when to show personality.
• How to build a summer associate wardrobe
• Pantyhose in the summer — do you really have to wear it?
• How to dress professionally if you're curvy or busty
• Speaking of accessories — is it WRONG to carry a handbag worth $9,000 if you're an intern? (If not as an intern, when can you buy a pricey bag and carry it to work?) And say: can you wear statement pieces as an intern?
• Pondering how to dress professionally for summer? We've tackled heat waves as well as regular summer work clothes.
• Makeup in the summer — how do you change it up and make it last? How different is it from interview makeup?
• Building a professional wardrobe from scratch? Check out our top picks for the most affordable work clothes!
• Speaking of suits — please don't try to “make” a suit out of different black fabrics! Also: here is everything you need to know about dry cleaning suits.
• Lucky enough to be working abroad (and hoping to travel a lot)? We've covered what to pack.

Finally, you may want to check out some of our guides, which are updated regularly (unlike posts) —

• Wardrobe Essentials: The Pieces You Need to Build a Work Wardrobe
• Guide to Comfortable Heels
• Guide to Women's Suits
• Guide to the Best Tops To Wear Under Suits
• The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women
• The Best Suits For Every Budget

Finally, that's a lot to unpack, but you don't have to worry about EVERYTHING: there is such a thing as overthinking what's professional, like the person who wondered whether a water bottle could be unprofessional. Oh yes, and you may want to check out our guide to how to have a great first day on the job.

Readers, what advice would you give summer associates and other interns on what to wear, what not to wear? Readers who ARE interns or summer associates, what are the biggest areas of confusion for you? (Any posts from above that we should revisit more in depth, or give a more current take on?)

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When can interns wear statement pieces like necklaces or shoes? Reader C, a law student, wonders….

I am a current law student preparing for a summer internship. I've been reading through a lot of your old posts trying to get a gauge on appropriate office wear. My question is about shoes.

I'm wondering how far is too far with statement shoes. If I am wearing a more muted outfit, is it okay to have a more colorful pair of shoes? For instance, I was considering a pair of shoes like these from Loft.

Would those be considered too bold for an office?

Interesting question. We get into this time and time again, but I'm always curious to see what the readers have to say. For my own $.02: Those are not first day shoes. Those are not big meeting shoes, or networking shoes. But: they could be office shoes. As in, you're having a low key day, you're not seeing anyone important, and you just want to mix it up a little bit.

Psst: stay tuned for a roundup of our recent favorites for colorful, statement heels and flats!

To be honest, if you're interning at a BigLaw firm, there probably are not going to be very many of those days. So this becomes an issue of budget: if you have the money to spend for shoes that you may way a few times during the summer, then knock yourself out. (There are very limited sizes left at Loft, but they are crazy affordable with today's 40% off sale — they were $79.50, then marked to $69.50, with the extra 40% off they come to $41.99. Petra Multicolored Floral Print Pumps)

Just to back up a little bit — why, you may be asking, should the intern not wear these shoes to meetings and networking events? Because they distract attention from where the focus should be for a young legal intern undergoing what is basically a 10-week job interview: her ability to do the job. For lawyers, your fashion sense is not really something you want your boss to think about, beyond “I can take her with me to meetings with clients and not be embarrassed.” It's a subconscious, half-second decision, and as the intern you want to be firmly in the “yes” category when you're an intern/prospective hire, and as far from the “maybe” category as possible.

But maybe I'm being overly harsh because these particular pumps are not my cup of tea — a bit too floral, too girly, too “I'm attending a ladies' charity luncheon today.” But that's just a taste issue — and I would still say that the less floral version is a “mix it up on a casual day” kind of shoe.

Readers, what do you think — when can interns safely wear statement pieces? When does a “fashion risk” for an intern pay off?

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Should she accept a job offer on the spot? How else can she prepare for an exit interview for her summer gig? Reader J wonders…

The summer is coming to a close and soon to be 3L's who happened to land a summer job are waiting anxiously and eagerly for the famous “exit interview.” I, too, am one of those 3L's. Most likely the firm I'm interning at will offer me a job or tell me that I wasn't a perfect fit. I want to be prepared as much as possible for how to handle both situations. I feel the summer has gone well, so I especially want to know how to react if I'm given a job offer. Personally, I would like at least a little bit of time to think about all the nitty gritty's and frankly just some time to step away and evaluate the summer. At the same time, I looked at the list of OCI's this year and there are literally only 5 firms coming to interview us 3L's; all of which I'm sure I have, at the most, a 1 out of 10 chance of landing. Yes, the market is still quite awful. That begs the question of whether I should accept on the spot. Further, if I do decide to accept should I attempt to negotiate a salary, figure out expectations that they have of me, express my interests, etc.? I'm totally at a loss, and any help would be fabulous.

Great question. I think the best case scenario is the easiest to prepare for, but maybe that's me. I'm really curious to hear what the readers say here. (Pictured: Welcome, originally uploaded to Flickr by alborzshawn.)

In the event that you're offered a job:
The summer has gone well! They like you! Do you like them? The ball is in your court now. Reader J notes that she wants time to consider the “nitty gritty” details and evaluate the summer — but in this economy I'd advise caution, because I think a lot of prospective employers would be surprised (and WILL remember) if you don't accept on the spot. What “nitty gritty” details do you want to consider? If they are questions that you haven't asked yet — salary/bonus information, benefits information, information about the company or practice itself — those are all valid questions, and I urge you to ask them IN the exit interview. If the details you want “time to evaluate” are things like the general experience and the people… well, I'm not sure what further information you're going to gain after leaving the interview.

Just to play the devil's advocate, what are your other options at this point? As you note, your chances for getting another job through OCI are extremely slim — and I hate to break it to you but having a job already in your pocket puts you in a much better position for clerkships, fellowships, and more. (I might also argue that firms are fungible from the perspective of a junior lawyer, but I'll save my cynicism for now.) From a realistic standpoint, also, I can remember a ton of other circumstances where people haven't returned to the firm after accepting their offer, either because they had a baby, their significant other got a job elsewhere, they started their own company, or they followed a different career path that presented itself after the fact. If their relationship with the firm was affected (and I doubt it was, honestly), it no longer mattered at that point because they already had something else lined up. Here, where you're just trying to “consider your options” in an economy where millions of people have been laid off or can't find legal work — and so hot on the heels of the firm's own consideration of WHO should get an offer that summer — your hesitance may not sit so great with the firm, particularly because they know there's a dearth of other options.

Regarding negotiating a salary — if that sort of thing is on the table, by all means negotiate. Many firms are changing from the “lockstep” salary arrangements of years past, and you should make sure that you're covered and even, perhaps, locked into the best position for you. One thing to keep in mind is that the economy is extremely volatile right now — if you accept the job offer and don't return to work for one year to three years (say, if you take a clerkship or two in the interim) then the economy could have a) rebounded and the starting salary offered could be higher than what it currently is now, or b) sunk even further and the salary offered to people who did NOT negotiate could be lower than whatever you bargained for, which might make you a candidate if the firm needs to “defer” associates.

Some other suggestions for an “exit” interview:

• Try to go in with some questions. “Was there any specific feedback in my evaluations for areas upon which I could improve? Especially since I still have a year of law school left, I'd love to know if I should beef up my legal writing or research skills, or if I should gain more knowledge in a specific area of law.”
• Stay professional.
• Stay positive (unless there's some feedback the firm really needs to get). Complaining about colleagues, whining about firm benefits (e.g., “Geez, could you improve the quality of the snack cookies? Other firms bake theirs from scratch”), or focusing on other petty things is not going to be helpful.

Readers, what are your suggestions for Reader J? Should she accept a job offer on the spot? What other advise do you have for the exit interview?

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We've had a few great conversations on here about summer internships and summer associates (including what not to DO at your internship) and general professional fashion gaffes, but I thought we should have an open thread of advice for all the interns and summer associates starting out this summer.

We've talked about what not to wear to work — and we've rounded up all of our favorite workwear essentials if you're building your wardrobe (including affordable wardrobe essentials!).

For my own $.02, here are some tips:

What Not to Wear as a Summer Associate

DO NOT WEAR SHORTS OR SANDALS OF ANY KIND UNLESS YOU SEE A SUPERIOR DO IT. Similarly, your first week has probably already passed, but take a look around your office at the women superiors (NOT the other interns): are they wearing pantyhose when they wear skirts? If they are, do not go bare-legged.

How long are your skirts? Even if you didn't grow up watching Ally McBeal, far too many skirts that are sold as professional ones are a bit too short for the office. Check out our diagram and poll on how short is too short for an office skirt.

If you wear flip-flops for the commute, get those suckers off the second you get to the office. Going to a cocktail party after work does not count as “commuting” — find shoes that are comfortable to stand in.

Assess your hair. I passed a girl on the street yesterday wearing a messy bun on the very tippy-top of her head (a look I wore myself in my early 20s) and thought, “Perhaps she works in a creative field.” My point here: There are a ton of cute ways to pull your hair back on the weekend, but make sure that your casual “need to get my hair out of my face right this instant” look is appropriate for your office culture. Hint: a low pony-tail works most everywhere; any ponytail or bun that sits higher than your ears may be suspect.

If you're still learning the office culture but you interviewed in a blazer, bring one in to the office. Just a simple black one or white one will do. Then, if you get called to an important meeting at the last minute, throw a blazer on top of whatever you're wearing.

Some of the best blazers for women in 2024 — great for wearing as separates! — include options from Cinq à Sept, J.Crew (collarless and collared), Everlane, and Madewell. Hunting for a deal? Check out J.Crew Factory and Amazon (Cicy Bell, The Drop).

Don't carry a Birkin or any other accessory or clothing item that suggests that Daddy (or your sugar Daddy) buys you things. As I advised the young woman who wanted to carry her Birkin to her internship:  Even if you're 100% committed to your career, the first impression you're making is a negative one, and you may not get a chance to correct it personally with every person who notices. So don't do it.

Finally, this isn't a fashion tip, but a more general one: Know your place. One of the weekend commenters mentioned going to a business meeting and being shocked that her opponent's intern blocked the exit and talked loudly about her own general studies in the field — and I found myself nodding in agreement because I've seen that person (male and female) a million times and it never reads well. When you're at a meeting with anyone outside your immediate company — e.g., clients, opponents — your role is to observe. Contributions are fine, but brevity and quality are the name of the game unless whoever you're speaking with presses further.

This should be a fun discussion — readers, what advice do you wish you could give the interns at your workplace? What gaffes have you seen?

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