Having an internship is a great way to test the waters and stick one foot into the "real world" while keeping the other safely grounded in the familiarity of student life. I have been tremendously blessed with the opportunity to intern in the finance department of a wonderful company in my college town. My time with the company is drawing to a close as I prepare to study abroad, and I will definitely miss working there! However, being an intern isn't always as glamorous as it sounds. Here are ten things I wish I knew before I started; maybe they'll help some of you, as you prepare to take this step into your future.
1. You're at the bottom of the food chain. Though you will probably work with some amazing employees who will make you feel right at home, at the end of the day, you still fall in the lowest rank in the organization. There's nothing wrong with this; after all, everyone has to start somewhere to work their way up.
2. That said, you are far from a gopher. Erase all mental pictures of an intern frantically running around taking coffee orders. Chances are, you'll get to do some pretty interesting things that actually are of value. I have had many projects that have been stimulating and challenging in the best way possible; nothing is as gratifying as "solving the mystery" of a baffling assignment.
Yes, the most repetitive and monotonous tasks tend to trickle down to you because, hey, someone has to do them, and, well, you're at the bottom of the food chain. You should see it as more of a rite-of-passage, though! It also gives you a fantastic view of the true day-to-day runnings of an organization.
3. You get a taste of adult life. I've got to admit, I love running around in my business-casual attire, heels clicking against the ground, badge swinging from my belt loop, coffee in hand. I'm sure I won't always enjoy saying things like "sorry I'm late, I got held up at the office", but at the current moment it makes me feel so grown-up.
4. An internship takes a goofy college kid and turns them into a competent professional really quickly. Though I have only been an intern for a few months, I can tell that I have dramatically improved the way that I carry and present myself. When a company believes in you enough to hire you, even as an intern, it boosts your confidence a lot because, well, if they see potential in you, then maybe you should too! Before my internship, people always asked me if I was twelve (baby face FTW!) However, now, people actually are surprised to learn that I only very recently turned twenty, because I "act so much older".
5. Experience is the best teacher. Textbook information has its value, but some things really can't be learned until you experience them firsthand. School teaches you technical skills needed in your field, and these skills are really cemented in your mind when you practice them in real life. What's more, some things can only be learned through you witnessing them. For instance, when I learned about company culture in class, it was hard to get a full grasp on it because I had no real-world application of the abstract concept. It wasn't until I witnessed it in the workplace that my understanding came full circle.
6. Nothing is as cool as seeing the things you've learned in the classroom being put to use in real life. I teared up the first time I saw a journal entry being made at work. The debits, the credits! They were real, not just some random thing we had to do in our homework at school! Maybe you don't geek out over general ledgers and cost of production reports, and that's fine. Just be prepared to get unexpectedly excited when you actually get to do something that, until this point, you've only done in class.
7. Humble pie is ALWAYS on the menu. This goes hand-in-hand with numero uno. There's always going to be something that you don't understand. It takes a while to settle into your job, whether it be learning the software, getting used to the culture, or becoming proficient at your tasks. There's often a lot of ambiguity that comes along with being an intern; directions can sometimes be unclear, and you are often left to figure things out for yourself, which is a valuable skill to learn. You're always learning and growing, which is awesome. Don't be afraid to ask for help; you're going to be doing that a lot, so you better get used to it! Your coworkers are there to help you, and actually expect you to have questions. I've heard, even from people at other companies, that it reflects better on you to ask questions because it shows that you don't think you know everything, that you are more concerned with doing the job right than with appearing perfect. Even the most intelligent intern is going to come across situations that absolutely confound them--so embrace it!
8. You're surrounded by role models. I get to work with some truly awesome people from various walks of life. It's cool hearing from those who have been with the company for years, through thick-and-thin, and also from those who have moved around a lot in their career. They all have interesting perspectives to share. It's valuable to have someone to look up to in a professional sense; they've been where you are before, and in a way are the picture of your future self, should you go the way that they go. It makes you think about what you want your career path to look like.
9. An internship is a great way to see if you really want to go into the field. It's easy to daydream about your future job when all you have is preconceived notions about the field. It takes actually experiencing it to know if it's right for you. It can either reaffirm that you are on the right track, or can inform you that your passions are elsewhere. You get to see your strengths and weaknesses put to the test, and can observe whether they complement your field of choice. Obviously, every company is different, so don't assume that every single job in your field will look exactly like what you see every day because it won't. Still, you get a good taste of what it looks like to work in that particular area.
10. You are part of something bigger than yourself. My parents chuckled to each other when, over break, I proudly talked about how "we" have offices all over the world. By "we", of course, I meant my company. I had begun identifying myself as part of the organization. Now, of course, I have not lost my sense of who I am (far from it!), but I have found a sense of community and belonging among my employees. You see, I work for an orthopedic company that creates knee joints, hip replacements, and other devices that drastically improve the quality of life for those whose bodies have worn with age or who have been in accidents. It's a beautiful mission that I strongly support, which is why I am so proud to work there.
My building is half office, half production facility, and I love walking through the plant on lunch break. Witnessing operations and production remind me that the numbers I crunch actually represent tangible items. It's awesome being able to email colleagues in Germany, because when else would you be able to do that? Because my company has such a strong presence in my town, I often see other employees out and about; even if I've never talked to them before, I feel connected to them, and seeing their jacket with our logo embroidered onto it makes my heart flush with pride. When I talk to other friends who intern at my company, I feel like we have an extra special bond that comes from being part of the same "family". Even if you work for a small company that only takes up one floor of an office building, you still have a strong sense of community and belonging unique from anything else.
Being an intern definitely has its strengths and weaknesses. I am not going to lie and say that it is the easiest job in the world because you definitely can feel confused and stressed. However, as long as you work hard and take things one day at a time, you will be just fine!
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