Congratulations! You have landed your first internship. This is an exciting time and it is the first step to reaching the holy grail of college, a full-time job offer! Once the excitement of the internship offer has passed, the anxiety might start to kick in. You begin to worry if you are going to do well and if you will like working there. You've probably heard some intern horror stories about bosses making interns do outrageous tasks and coffee runs, but I am here to tell you that not every internship is the same. There are going to be some good internships and some bad ones. The work ethic and the attitude that you put into your internship will ultimately make or break your experience. Here are some tips for helping you succeed in your first internship.
1. Have a positive attitude
Interns will be assigned tasks that they'd rather not do, but accept the jobs you are given and do it with a positive attitude. You want your team to rely on you and if they can trust you to do the small tasks, then you will be asked to help out with larger projects. If you find yourself only running errands and you don't feel like you are learning anything, communicate this with your supervisor and see if they can give you more challenging tasks.
2. Always ask how you could help
One of the best questions to ask is, "is there anything I could do to help you?" There will be times when your team members are drowning in work and they need help. Asking if you could help with even the smallest tasks can expose you to the typical work that you would be doing if you were in their position. It gives you a taste of what the day-to-day work is like and your team will see that you are genuinely interested in learning more.
3. Downtime should not exist
There will be times when you have no work to do. If that is the case, go around the department to see if you can help with a project. You are there to learn and sitting around on social media is a waste of the company's time and yours. If the team doesn't have anything for you to help with, try to come up with your own tasks. Here are some suggestions for what you can do in your free time:
-- Make an intern handbook for the next intern to come into your position
-- Research more about the company and the industry so that you are up-to-date on current events
-- Organize files and closets in the office
-- Create an intern task diary about what you have been working on, what you've learned and what goals you want to accomplish during your time as an intern
4. Be on time
This is very important and requires hardly any skill. Be on time! If you are constantly showing up late, it looks bad on you and makes it seem like you do not take your job seriously. If you foresee yourself being late on a day where your train is delayed or you didn't set your alarm the night before, send a note to your supervisor to let them know of the situation.
5. Keep all of the projects that you work on
Keep everything you worked on in a folder on your USB drive and print out some copies to keep for when you need to show examples at a job interview. Every job interview I went on I showed work from my previous internships and it always led to a second interview.
6. Set up informationals with people in your department and departments you are interested in
Informationals are a great way to better understand how the company works and to develop connections with the people at your company. Ask your supervisor to help connect you to people in departments you are interested in so you can set up some time to chat with them.
7. Don't be afraid to ask questions
Asking questions shows that you are paying attention and it helps to make sure that you are completing the task the right way. It is better to ask a lot of questions and complete the task correctly than to ask no questions and have to re-do the task.
8. Ask about job opportunities the right way
Treat your internship like one big job interview. Everything you do as an intern reflects on how well you will work as an employee of the company. After you have completed your internship it is important to take some time to sit down with your supervisor to discuss what you've learned, what you need to improve on and advice on how to get a full-time offer if you are interested in staying with the company. Communicating your goals with your supervisor can help open some doors for you and your career.
9. Take advantage of what the company's internship program has to offer
Some internship programs offer events that help interns with their professional development. Take advantage of these opportunities and get to know the intern program at your company. Some of these programs might give helpful tips on how to go about applying for jobs within the company after you graduate.
With all of this being said, enjoy your time as an intern. Be open to learning more about your field and do great work. You are now one step closer to achieving your dreams.
