So you landed yourself an internship in an office over the summer and your start date is slowly approaching. The closer it gets, the more nervous you get. You want to perform well and impress your coworkers, but you want to learn as you go too. Here are some things to do and keep in mind as your first day gets closer.
1. Know the dress code.
Most offices have a business casual dress code. Read up on what business casual means and double check that it is indeed the dress code. You'll feel self-conscious if you show up to dressed up or dressed down.
2. Carry a pen and a notepad with you.
Odds are since you’ll be working in an office, these things will be provided for you. But carry them with you anyway. You never know when you’ll want or have to take notes on something.
3. Be prepared to answer phones.
The phone could ring at any moment, and this is often a task delegated to interns. Practice sounding professional and speaking at a reasonable speed. You don’t want to talk too fast, but you don’t want to talk too slow, either. And make sure you know what to say when you pick up the phone.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
There are other people in the office who have been there much longer than you and have the wisdom to pass on. If you aim to impress, asking questions will make you look better than doing the wrong thing when you could’ve simply asked what was correct.
5. Ask what you can do when things are slow.
Odds are these tasks will end up being trivial and tedious, but they need to get done too. Just know you’re doing it all for good reason. And the people you work with will appreciate you for doing these little tasks.
6. Know you won’t be chained to a desk.
You’ll be able to get up and maybe even duck out for a few minutes to get some coffee. Just make sure you keep your coworkers in the loop and are ready to get back to work anytime.
7. Learn to write quickly.
This will come in handy when you have to take notes about a phone call. If you write quickly, you won’t have to ask the person on the other end to repeat what was said as much, which makes you look better.
8. Know the office phone number.
Whether you want someone to return a phone call or if someone asks what the number is if you know it, you won’t have to waste time digging around for it.
9. Knock before entering someone’s office…even if the door is open.
The last thing you want to do is a barge in and surprise your coworker. They might look up and see you approach, but still knock lightly once or twice. That way, if the person ends up being in the middle of something, they can tell you before you start talking.
Being nervous is normal. But keep these tips in mind and you’ll be a hit in the office. Your first day will come and go and you’ll realize it’s not as intimidating you thought it’d be. You’ll get the hang of things pretty quickly and your coworkers will appreciate the extra help.
