• June 13, 2012  |  3:37 AM MDT

Summer Social Events

Throughout the next several weeks, many summer interns and summer associates will be invited to social events hosted by an employer in his or her home. These events provide interns with the opportunity to meet and socialize with fellow workers. They also present their own set of special challenges.

If you have been invited to a work-related summer social event, please keep the following in mind:

As soon as you receive an invitation to a summer social event, check your calendar and confirm your availability. If you don’t have a prior commitment, for heaven’s sake, plan to attend. Assuming the invitation includes an R.S.V.P., contact the host or hostess immediately. (Do not wait for a better offer.) Please note, if you will be unable to attend the event, communicate your regrets.

Once you indicate that you plan to attend, only an absolute emergency excuses your absence. In these cases, phone the host or hostess with your apologies. For an event hosted in someone’s home, avoid arriving before the designated start time. However, don’t dawdle. Arriving 10 or 15 minutes late provides the host with plenty of time to tie up loose ends.

Even if the invitation specifies beachwear, leave your swimsuit and sundress at home. I know. Wearing business casual attire to a weekend event at someone’s home may seem unnecessary. However, so long as your boss and work colleagues are present, you should avoid wearing anything that will show an excessive amount of skin. (Dependent upon the event, Bermuda shorts may be appropriate in a way that short-shorts will never be.)     

Before you head to the event, prepare some non-work-related questions that you can ask other guests. Do they have plans for a summer vacation? What are their kids doing during their summer school break? Are there specific summertime activities that they especially enjoy? These are great conversation starters.

A day or two after the event, send a handwritten thank you note to the host and/or hostess at his or her home address. Express your appreciation for the invitation and describe something about the event that made it memorable for you.