So you are about to start your summer internship. You're nervous and excited. You don't want to mess this up. If you're anything like me you have resulted to looking online and watching videos on "how to be professional" and "how to look like a well put together individual". I have put together a short list of tips and tricks to follow to ensure that you rock your summer internship and learn a little along the way.
1. Be Punctual
Nothing is easier and more important than being on time. Be on time for work in the morning. Meet your deadlines. Show up to meeting and events.
As the saying goes, "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late." I'm not sure who said that first, but I'm sure they would have killed their summer internship.
2. Be Organized
My biggest piece of life advice it to buy a planner. That way you know your deadlines and know of other events coming up. Find a system that flows and works for you and stick to it. Being totally organized is possibly the hardest part (at least for me). I am a natural hot mess, so as long as you can appear to have your shit together then you should be good.
3. Get Involved in your office community
One of the best ways to learn is to participate...duh. Converse with other interns, your co-workers, and your superiors. Find different ways to network with these people. It's going to be like the real world version of coming to college. You never know who they might know and if they could help you land a job after graduation. Many companies are involved with charities and/or service projects. See how you can become a part of that and grow the company culture.
4. Don't get involved in office drama/politics
You could be walking into a bad situation in the office. Unfortunately, office politics is something that happens everywhere, but it is the bad dramatic stuff you have to stay away from. Since you will be new to the office several things could happen. People could attempt to change your viewpoint or you could somehow end up in the middle of all of the chaos. Just try to stay friendly and focused on why you are there. You are not necessarily there to make friends, you are there to work and learn.
5. Listen even when you don't think listening is necessary.
Now, before you say that eavesdropping is bad, just know that eavesdropping is not what I am talking about. I don't mean listening in an effort to try to catch some drama. What I mean is that you can learn more about the company and the industry by listening to those around you. The full-time people that you work with will obviously know more than you because they have been there longer. There might be some things that they won't go to you to talk about in the break room. See what you can learn from people. I am not saying go out of your way to get this information, but just be observant.
6. Enjoy every moment
You will meet so many new people and learn so many new things about your career and the industry that you are involved in. It is easy to get so wrapped up in your short time with the company that you forget to take a step back for a second and take it all in. Don't think about it as a degree requirement, think about it as a new chapter in life. There's going to be bad days and there is going to be good days. Don't sweat the small stuff because, in the long run, those 10 weeks that you are in your internship position go fast.
