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I just graduated from college and have a question for you that's now become somewhat timely.

I have an internship in New York City. I've been here a month, and honestly, they haven't given me much of anything to do. I go to a few seminars (like once a week, if that), but they really don't seem to have any work for me to do. My last day with them is on Aug. 17. I visit my superiors every day, asking for what I can help them with, and I get nowhere.

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I'm going in for my second interview with a wire service. The wire service knows I have an internship and that I am currently committed through Aug. 17, but I am getting the hint they might want someone to start sooner.

Would it be worth telling the wire service I could start sooner and possibly kill off (ASAP) my internship? Is that bad form? I really feel I am getting nothing out of my internship, outside of some educational opportunities.

Please let me know what you think, if you can. I'm a little conflicted. As always, you're incredibly helpful.

Tempted

If a job candidate told me that he was ready to cut out on a prior commitment, ASAP, to take a job at my company, I would show him the door. How could I trust him to keep his word?

Joe Grimm

If I, as a job candidate, ran into an employer who encouraged me to break my commitments, I would be tempted to run the other way.

The best situation would be to go to the wire service at the end of your internship -- and to turn your internship into something meaningful.

Ask yourself whether you did enough research before you took this internship and make sure you do on the company that seems to want you to cut out early.

Not to sound like a fortune cookie, but today's decisions are the parents of tomorrow's.

The recruiter asks back: What do you think? Am I being too rigid, or should he wait it out? Join the discussion by clicking here.

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Coming Thursday: Rebuffed in a job bid because he didn't show clips fast enough, he wants to develop a cheap online portfolio.

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