Summer Internship Start!

Yesterday, I had my orientation for my summer internship. I posted about getting the internship earlier in my End of Term post. The tl;dr version is that I have a 6 week unpaid summer internship with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I'll be working in the Public Office; I can't wait to work out the details of the projects that I'll be helping with.

Read more for the preparation that I put into the orientation.


They sent us an email about dress, making sure to keep it professional. I wanted my first outfit to show that I took this seriously while following their rules for dress code. But I also wanted to show my coworkers that I had a sense of style. So here's what I was wearing and carrying with me:

Do you like that everything is in cool colors? I can't seem to help myself! I always end up getting blue and green things.

Earlier in May, I made a large purchase of spring semi-professional clothing. I assumed that the internship would expect attire that respected the summer heat but maintained professional standards. I got this particular dress from Marshalls. It had a large stain on it so it had been marked down; it was great for me since I hemmed the dress, cutting off all evidence of the stain.

This is the purse I recently got for the internship. I didn't think that any of my day purses were large enough or professional enough. I wanted to have a larger purse for carrying paperwork and supplies that still looked professional-cute. I'll likely do a post on the purse, reviewing it and saying how it holds up to a week or two of use.

Here's what I packed inside of it:

• Folder for requested information
• Notepad and planner
• Tea (not shown)
• Pencil case
• Phone
• Mini make up case

I'm so amazingly thankful for my summer internship. I can't wait to share with you all the things that I learn. I worked hard to make a good impression and I hope that it paid off.