At this time of the year, many college and university students are looking for an unpaid internship for the summer. How you present yourself if you do get an interview may mean the difference between landing the position or not, no matter how well qualified you are.

Nothing is more distracting than a well-dressed person who made poor choices in the accessory department or has an offensive odour.{{more}} Accessories can enhance an outfit, make it elegant, classy or downright gaudy; so choose wisely as you think about how to accentuate your outfit. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Jewelry

• No more than one earring per ear

• Keep rings to a minimum, 1-2 max 

• One bracelet. Two bracelets make too much noise

• Conceal body piercings and tattoos 

• Avoid oversize pieces of jewelry, large linked chains and flashy rings.

• No fancy nail designs with studs, tropical scenes, loud colours etc Stay with a neutral colour scheme

• No bulky bags or backpacks. A simple briefcase or portfolio will do

Common Make-up Mistakes to Avoid

• Heavy foundation and often in the wrong shade

• Bright or very dark coloured lipsticks

• Heavy black outlined lips

• Too much blush, and extra dark eyebrows.

Fragrances

• Use no fragrance at all

• Do use deodorant, and light scented body lotion should be fine. Many people are allergic to strong fragrances.

Hairstyles for Women

• Stay with natural human hair colours, soft highlights. Avoid drastic hair colours

• Overly trendy hairstyles that are designed to be attention grabbers should be kept for the weekend

• Braided extensions or weaves should be clean and neat at all times. 

Hairstyles for Men

• Braided and the no-comb hairstyles are unacceptable in the traditional workforce.

• Low-cuts are preferred. 

• Dreads are becoming more acceptable, but only if clean and well kept. Please, no matted clumps of dirty, stringy hair.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com

Visit online at www.workplacesuccess.com