Hey there, champ.
Right about now, you might be feeling pretty down. Maybe you messed up the copies you were supposed to make for someone. Or you didn’t do your first big assignment right, thus losing the opportunity to showcase your potential. Or you might have even spilled the coffee you were carrying for a staff member who is way higher than you in the command chain and is also very decaffeinated and cranky at the moment. Regardless, you’re probably feeling like you’re a screw up and ready to either break down in tears or walk out the door. Breathe. Relax. Take a moment and remember why you signed up for this gig in the first place.
Let’s just acknowledge that internships are an awkward position. You are at this strange “in between” status where you definitely don’t have the title or experience to be ordering people around and making major decisions, but you are expected to somehow contribute and find a way to demonstrate your usefulness as a hopeful college graduate and possible future employee. It can be intimidating, confusing and frustrating at times. Your coworkers will introduce you to other employees as “the intern” and they’ll softly smile at you like an innocent child who hasn’t been jaded by the struggles of working in post-grad life. During the first few days, you’ll attempt to learn names and faces and practice workplace small talk that will test your multitasking skills to socialize while staying on task.
You have to take in as much as you can in the moment, because you could be working this gig for anywhere from a couple months to a couple years but either way, you constantly have the feeling that it is impermanent and more of a test than anything. Remember that you are doing this internship to learn. Think of it as a window to the adult workplace that could be waiting for you after college.
Also, remember that all internships are very different. From one place to the other, different companies assign different levels of responsibility, treat their interns differently, and have their own long-term goals for the outcome of the internship. They may have you in the position to see if you could potentially work there or they might have you there to make copies and go on lunch runs for the boss. Try not to take things personally. You are most likely the youngest person there, so you might catch a lot of flack or looks of disapproval if things go wrong. Everyone likes to blame the intern who “doesn’t know what he/she is doing”. Or even worse, you might just get looks of sympathy when you screw something up, which will make you feel like there’s no hope for you after graduation and might cause you to cry the whole way home and stop for some Taco Bell and ice cream to numb the pain (do not be ashamed).
Once again, remember why you’re here (hint: LEARN LEARN LEARN). Try to look at the people and the environment around you and imagine yourself being a full-time paid employee in such a place. Find employees with more experience whose example you can follow. Watch how they talk to people, how they make decisions, or try to figure out what it is about their work that made them stand out and earn the position they currently hold today. In most workplaces, there are people who like to take the time to get to know interns and help them out whenever possible. Make friends with those people. You want them on your team. Don’t take it personally if you get scolded or criticized, but definitely take feedback and comments into consideration. Like it or not, these people do know more than you do about this particular job, but that doesn’t discount the potential you have to one day make it your own.
Finally, remember that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Even if you’re screwing up and not always getting it right, people are more likely to be rooting for you if you are visibly working your ass off and trying your best to be thorough. Being lazy or even nonchalant is not attractive in an employee, so always try to give it your all, which you’re probably already doing. Don’t give up and relentlessly make an effort to understand, practice, ask questions and improve. Stay positive despite the few employees who might like to disrespect or even ignore interns. If those people don’t want to help you, find some that do. Lastly, keep a smile on your face and the best intentions in your heart. You might not feel like you’re worth much at the moment, but you obviously got this position because someone somewhere saw something in you. Take that, run with it, and know that even when things get messy, hard work and positivity will pay off. It’s okay to cry in the bathroom on a bad day, but never forget to wipe the tears when you’re finished, pick that head up, and get back out there. As the saying goes, “Be so good, they can’t ignore you."
