Every summer, college students from all over the country venture out for internships. Besides that part time job in high school, this is the first taste at the adult world, specifically in your possible career field. There are a million internships out there to meet all sorts of different needs and experiences. However, these five tips will make you the star intern anywhere and help lead to a fantastic letter of recommendation later on.
1. Dress professionally.
It is very important to dress professionally in a work place setting. It can vary for every office what is expected from business professional, business casual, to casual Fridays. Once you are in the office, you can adjust your wardrobe accordingly. However, you can only make one first impression, so make it a good one. Don’t show up your first day in jeans, unless you are told to. Pull out a blazer and rock it.
2. Arrive early.
I was taught in high school that ten minutes early is early, five minutes early is on time, on time is late and if you are late you are left. This tip is very relevant to internships. You don’t want to be late and miss out on an opportunity or leave that impression on your boss. If you are late, have a valid excuse and apologize as well. Oversleeping is not a valid excuse in the real world, and it is not for internships either. Set as many alarms as possible to get yourself up and out the door on time.
3. Finish assignments on time.
When your boss gives you a job that means they trust you to get it done by a deadline. In college, if you turn something in late, you only hurt yourself and your own GPA. In a job, by missing a deadline, you could be putting an entire team behind or halting an entire project. Don’t be that person. Don’t hurry through your work, give it the time it deserves and make sure you give it your best effort.
4. Ask for career advice.
When you finish an assignment, let your boss know that you finished and that you are happy to help in whatever way possible. If you want to learn as much as possible while at your internship, ask questions and shadow people. Learn what people majored in college or what kinds of organizations there were involved in. See how their professional path led them to their current job. The advice they can give you use very valuable.
5. Send Thank You cards.
People underestimate the impact of handwritten thank you cards. They show that you took the time to show your gratitude and went beyond just a quick email. Thank all of the people who helped you during your internship and for the opportunity in general. You never know when those contacts could come in handy again.
So go out there and give your internships all that you've got! Find out if it is the right career for you. Whether it is or it isn’t, it was worth your time to find out now instead of after graduation.
