When everyone goes home for Thanksgiving break they look forward to eating exquisite homemade food, kicking back in a Lazy Boy and catching up on much needed sleep. That’s all well and good, but don’t let that be the only thing your week consists of. A lot of companies conduct interviews for their summer internships during this time, so be sure to contact those employers that you really would like to work for this summer. Here are a few things to remember to do either before break starts or before you head into that interview.

1. Polish off your resume– Yes, the resume probably got you the interview, but an interview is your first face-to-face moment and you don’t want any mistakes if they request a copy. So go through it twice, have your parents go through it, then a professor, and you should be good.

2. Further tailor your cover letter– Tailoring this and your resume to the company will look great to them if they ask for a copy or review one you sent. Go on to the company’s website and figure out what they’re about and their values. Tailoring yourself to their overall vision will only help you.

3. Study– This is not what you wanted to do when you heard the words “break,” but we don’t mean school work, unless you have a test after break. We mean study the company, their projects, values, managers, etc. After you tailor your cover letter and resume, you’re going to want to actually know what you’re talking about.

4. Bring your nice clothes home with you– This is quite possibly the biggest part and the easiest thing to mess up. In your excited rush to hit the road and get home, you could very easily forget your suit or nice clothes for the interview and only pack one pair of clothes like you usually do. This isn’t a quick weekend trip to Iowa City; this is an important trip for an interview and can quite possibly be the next step to your future. So make sure to create a list and double check it before you go!

5. Rehearse and prep– The final things to do the days leading up to the interview and the night before is to review everything you’ve done one final time and be prepared for any question. Don’t forget to get a good night sleep, have questions ready for them, and be confident!