DEAR HARRIETTE: I am in my last summer before graduating college, and my internship fell through. I was told I had it after my interview went well. After a month of trying to contact anyone in the office with no success, I received a curt email saying I would not be needed after all. Originally, I was angry and felt strung along. I canceled my other interviews after receiving this internship. Now I am wondering what my next step should be. I got a job waitressing, so my summer is not wasted, but I do not know where else to turn. It seems too late to get another internship. What else can I do so getting a job is easier out of college? -- Summertime Sadness, Syracuse, New York
DEAR SUMMERTIME SADNESS: Don't give up yet. If you know your field of interest, do research in your area to learn what companies do that work. Contact them to see if you can volunteer part-time this summer. Be enthusiastic and focused when you contact them. Make it clear that they do what you want to do, and you want a chance to learn from them. Look for smaller companies that may have more relaxed rules about how they accept interns. Calling it volunteering might create more flexibility in their human resources considerations. If that doesn't work, ask to shadow leaders for a day in the companies you have identified. The point is for you to gain some exposure in your field during the summer.