Offer and Acceptance?

I had my first interview today for a summer externship and so I decided to go to the our school's career services homepage to see if they had any tips that I might have forgotten. Although I have the business dress down from working on the Hill, I clicked on the "Dress Code" page just to see what they had. Although most of the points were good reminders/common sense, I thought there were some very detailed, odd, or oddly written tips. Here's the whole list:

Reminders for both Men and Women

• Always err on the side of conservatism.
  
• Do not wear fraternity or sorority rings and pins to an interview.
  
• Do not wear an inexpensive watch to an interview. Choose a quality watch with a leather or metal band. The pen you carry should also be of good quality. The same applies to your wallet, portfolio, and briefcase.
  
• In your portfolio or briefcase, always carry extra copies of your resume.
  
• Don't tap your feet, cross you legs, yawn, stare at the interviewer, touch your hair or clothing, giggle or otherwise appear nervous or bored during the interview.
  
• Do not chew gum or eat candy or mints while interviewing.
  
• Carry only a briefcase or portfolio with extra copies of your resume.
  
• If you have a coat, umbrella, backpack, etc., ask if you may leave them with the receptionist or ask if there is a designated area for storage.

Business Dress for Women

• Suits in navy, gray, taupe, and black are good color choices. Other colors such as burgundy and dark green are also acceptable. Skirt lengths should not be above the knee.
  
• Choose neutral-toned hosiery.
  
• Shoes should be leather in a classic closed heel and toe pump style. Heels should be approximately three inches in height. Recommended colors: black, navy, taupe, and cordovan.
  
• Handbags/briefcases/portfolios should be made of leather and of the same color choices as shoes. Do not carry a purse and an attache case. Choose one or the other, but not both.
  
• Choose small, subtle jewelry in gold or silver. Simplicity is the key. Wear no more than one ring on each hand.
  
• Always wear a blouse with your suit. White, as always, is appropriate. Other colors such as light blue, cream, and gray are also good choices.
  
• Your make-up should be subtle and flattering to your complexion.
  
• Your hair should be natural looking (no dark roots or unusual colors). Shoulder length or shorter is considered appropriate for business. If your hair is long, wear it up during an interview.

Business Dress for Men

• Suits in navy or gray in a classic, conservative style worn with a white shirt and a tie with a small pattern or stripe. Burgundy is always considered an appropriate tie color for an interview. Your tie should be "updated" in width and should touch the top of your belt buckle.
  
• Wear well-shined black shoes in lace-up or slip-on style with black or navy over-the-calf socks.
  
• Jewelry, other than a wedding band, should not be worn.
  
• Cologne should be worn sparingly or not worn at all.

Despite violating Rule 6 of the female dress code by wearing a bright blue blouse (my lucky interviewing shirt), the interview went very well. So well in fact, that the organization offered me a position the same day. Though I asked for a week to get all my ducks in a row and make a final decision, I'm leaning very heavily towards taking the position. It doesn't pay because its a nonprofit, but if I can get academic credit for it I would be very happy because it sounds like a great place. I will describe later if I do end up working there, or if you contact me personally, but prefer to keep it off the world wide web for now.

All in all, this just seems like a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I am really excited for this summer.