Many of you have spiffed up resumes, belabored through behavior-based questions, and paid attention to program presentations, all in an effort to obtain a coveted spot in one of the firms’ summer leadership programs.  But now that you’ve got the spot, do you know what you’re getting into?

Here’s a guide of what to expect when you embark on your summer leadership adventures.

I participated in three local summer leadership programs, and one national leadership program and they ran anywhere from one to five days.  But more or less, they are made up of the same ingredients:

The Dinner. Most leadership programs start off with a dinner, but even if they don’t, they will generally have a formal meal at some point throughout the event.  At the dinner you

After dinner you will be left to explore the city, your hotel, or just crash in bed.  Whatever you do, make sure you get to bed on time because you’ll have an early start in the morning.

The Office. At some point you will go to the office and be given a tour with some staff from the office. You will also most likely enjoy a presentation about the firm and the local market, or how to be a better leader. Some firms will give you a lot of useful information about the different careers at their firm (Forensic, Transaction Services, Advisory, etc.).  Pay attention because in the fall you will select one of these areas and interview for a position—you want to make sure you get the right one for you.

Team Building. Now it’s time to put in practice your leadership skills.  Whether it’s building a tower, making a video, solving a puzzle, you will be put in a team to practice working together.  The prizes for winning these games are actually pretty cool; I won a camera, a blanket, and even a couple gift cards. The trick to winning is enthusiasm, effort, and more enthusiasm. It doesn’t hurt to spend some time on the firms Wikipedia page for firm trivia either.

Even if you don’t win anything, you will get to know the other participants and staff on your team really well.  Some of my team-members ended up being my good friends during my internship.

The Activity. Often, leadership programs will include some kind of closing activity, though not always.  It could be bowling, going to a ball game, or even going to the zoo. Instead of an activity, you might do a service project instead. Whatever you do, have fun and buy-in to the activity, because it’s important to have fun while networking with future co-workers. 

The National Experience. A national leadership experience is very close to a local leadership, and has the same things mentioned above.  The difference is that national leadership programs are usually a full workweek and have a lot more activities: More meals, more games, more activities, more networking, and more presentations. 

Additionally, national leadership programs don’t take place at the office, but rather at a conference center, hotel, or training facility. They are fun and exciting.  Time goes by fast so keep up your enthusiasm and get to know as many people as you can.

They will tell you generally what you need to pack, but I will tell you what I saw at the leadership programs. Most activities are business casual.  For men you will find most people wear slacks and a nice dress shirt.  A blazer or sports coat isn’t a bad idea if you want to spruce things up even more.  Women often wear a skirt and blouse, but many also wear dress slacks.

If you are interviewing at the leadership program, bring a suit.

National leadership programs usually require nice-casual dress.  The most difficult thing to figure out is what kind of shoes to pack, because generally sandals are not acceptable.  I found that many people wore boat shoes (like Sperry’s) or loafers.

Other things you might want to bring: Sunscreen, firm gear (the right firm’s gear), sunglasses, swimsuit (for the hotel pool), gym-clothes (for the hotel gym).

Whatever you do, pack light.  For shorter, local leadership programs, you should be able to fit everything in a carry-on and comfortable personal bag. Here’s why: you may have to walk a couple blocks with your luggage, or store it in an office closet, or check it at the hotel desk (what I recommend).

To finish off, I’ll give you some tips and tricks that I learned during my leadership programs or that I heard from others.

Make friends—you will continue to see the same participants at the different leadership programs.  Anyone you meet could be a future mentor or co-worker.

Be polite, say thank you—the Bible shows that only about one in ten will go back and say thank you, make sure that person is you. The firm just spent a ton of money to recruit you and make sure you had a good time, so thank everyone. 

Enthusiasm—a cheerful and invested attitude will go a long way.

Check your bags at the hotel—walking even a couple blocks with luggage in a crowded city is a pain.  Checking your bags is worth the couple dollar tip to the bellman.

Be Early—it’s easy to get turned around, or to run into a long check out line.  Plan ahead and be early. 

Follow-up Email—THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT! Sending an email after to say thank you or further connect with professionals you meet is always a good way to network with the professionals.

Whatever you do, represent BYU and BAP well; you are a part of the Marriott School Brand!