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• dress for a Job Interview

Skills, experience and attitude will land you a job, but your interview attire is more important than you think. It's an opportunity to make a good first impression with a potential employer or future boss.

Steps:

1. Know the company you will be interviewing with, and research the industry that it's a part of to familiarize yourself with the universal dress code. Ask a friend at the company or stake out the front door to find out what current employees wear on the job. 

2. Go in a suit and tie to any company that's part of a more formal industry, such as banking. Choose a basic black, dark gray or dark navy suit, a matching tie and black leather lace-up
shoes. Borrow anything that you may be leery of investing in well in advance to ensure that it's
clean and fits well. 

3. Opt for dressy casual attire for a company that you know doesn't expect suits. Pressed trousers, a clean, ironed button-down shirt, a belt and a pair of polished leather shoes will serve you well. 

4. Match the belt to the color of your shoes. Choose black if your outfit consists of dark grays,
navy's, browns or black. Opt for dark brown if you'll be wearing tans, muted pastels or medium
toned colors. 

5. Polish or clean your shoes the night before your interview. Scuff marks on your shoes reveal a
lack of forethought and attention to detail. 

6. Keep interview accessories professional. Take a briefcase or nice leather- or vinyl-bound
portfolio to carry résumé, references or other pertinent documents. Leave tattered manila
folders or college logo folders at home. 

7. Avoid cologne or aftershave that may overpower the interviewer. Place your watch in your pocket once you make it to the front door so that you're not tempted to look at it during the
interview. 

Tips:

Check your appearance before heading into an interview. Ensure your tie is straight, your teeth
are clean and your hair is groomed. 

Let your talent and personality get you noticed, not your clothes. Save the bright colors, wild
prints and trendy fashions for another occasion. 

• write a letter to the Editor

If you have something to say, say it!

Steps:
1. Pick a topic that you feel passionate about. Relate it to an issue very recently discussed in the
publication to which you are writing. 

2. Think of new ways to discuss the topic and present unique solutions to the problem. 

3. Write clearly and concisely following the limitations usually given on the editorial page or
letters-to-the-editor page. 

4. Include your major points within the first few paragraphs. 

5. Type your letter and double space between lines. 

6. Use your spell check and then proofread. 

7. Sign your name and include your phone number and address if required. 

8. Mail, fax or e-mail your letter to the address listed for the publication. 

9. Keep in mind that most publications verify by phone or in writing that you, and not someone
attributing these opinions to you, authored the letter.

Tips:

If you don’t want your name published, emphasize this outside the body of the letter, either
before the letter, following the letter, or both places. 

Publications rarely edit and, instead, select well-written and grammatically correct letters. Make it easy to publish yours. 

If your letter is going to be shortened, it will usually be the final paragraphs, so don't save your
point for the end.

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