This summer I was thankful enough to snag an internship early on in my college career. I had the pleasure of interning for Birmingham Home & Garden magazine. Although I envied my friends that got to be poolside everyday and have the perfects summer tan, I learned some valuable lessons to carry with my through the rest of my life. Not only did I learn a lot, I also finally figured out what I want to do with the rest of my life. My confidence of being in the world of magazines has soared.
Here I will share with you five things I learned this summer from my internship what you should know for your next interning experience!
1) Do not be afraid to ask questions, make mistakes or have to do something over again. The amount of times I had to edit, re-edit and re-edit again is a number I can’t even count on my hands anymore. But that is exactly what made me a better writer and helped me build such confidence in the work I was doing. When it came down to the final line and my work was finally published, words cannot describe how amazing it felt to have my own byline in a well known published magazine. You are always going to make mistakes. But, if you ask questions and do it over again until you get it right, that is what will make you a better person in the long run.
2) Finish one project before going onto the next one. With my internship I ended up working for two different magazines: Birmingham Home & Garden and Fit & Well. I constantly had something to do for each of them and it kept me extremely busy. What I learned is that you have to take each assignment one step at a time. The more you focus on just one thing, the better it is and the faster you can mark it off your to-do list. It will keep you from getting way too overwhelmed and also keep your work quality high.
3) Work Hard. Working hard for a company you’re interning for or working for will always go a long way. It will help them not only remember you but it will also show that you have a very strong work ethic and are committed. No matter what you are doing in life, always work hard for it.
4) Be respectful. Even if someone you are co-working with is different than you, always treat them with respect. Respect will always go a long way. I met so many amazing people throughout my journey this summer between photo-shoots, interviews, and co-workers in the office. You never know how being nice to someone can go such a long way.
5) Be on time. Between deadlines and just showing up to work, you must be on time to everything in the real world. And even if you are going to be late, at least let them know beforehand. You will be so much more respected if you get things in on time or even before then.
