You walk in. Heart beating, palms sweating. Your new boss is walking right towards you. "OMG, you mean I have to do this — be a real person — for the next eight weeks?!"
Honestly, this is how most people will feel during their first internship, or at least, how I felt during mine. Though it seems like the ‘trendy’ industry to go into right now, marketing is not for the faint of hearted. Here are five steps to nailing your marketing internship.
1. COFFEE
Trust me. It will be 3 p.m. and you will have 10,000 things left to do before EOD (end of day). If you weren’t a coffee drinker before your internship, you will be by the end of the summer. There is nothing quite like that feeling when the caffeine from your coffee kicks in and you suddenly become unstoppable. It also doesn't have to be Starbucks; depending on your work environment, there's usually a kitchen where you can fix up a quick cup of pure caffeinated joy.
NB: As great as Starbucks is, try and make your own - your bank balance will thank you!
2. Plan, plan, plan.
Coffee can only do so much in ensuring you get all your work finished. Though it might seem obvious, don't underestimate the power of the list. It's easy to forget small tasks you were assigned; especially when you will have several things thrown at you at once, all due at different times. Tasks are often incredibly time-sensitive, so to avoid holding up the whole project, take responsibility for your work and get yourself organized.
3. Trust me, it’s not the end of the world.
Sadly, we're not all superhuman and able to type 200 words per minute - boring, right? If you know that you have a lot of other work and will not be able to finish a task before a specific deadline, make sure to tell your line manager so that they can adjust their plans accordingly. This may seem a bit awkward, but this is definitely less awkward than, come deadline, when they are standing at your desk asking for your work, with nothing to give.
4. Smiling is FREE
First impressions are key. You never know who you are going to need help from in the future - whether it's the line manager of another project or even another intern. At the end of the day, they probably won't want to help you if all you're know for is being the resident "Office Grump." So show some teeth every once in a while.
5. Own. It.
Finally, there is something to be said about "faking it until you make it." If you start off believing you know what you are doing, eventually, you actually will. So fix your posture, hold that head up high and enjoy your time as an intern!
