For those of us trying to advance our future careers, we have sold our souls to a company for one summer to "learn" everything we can about the business we (hopefully) going to enter upon graduation. This can be both an amazing experience, and a tough one. Your internship is what you make it, but there are some common truths.
Now, I present to you an acrostic poem describing what it REALLY means to be an intern.
I- Interdisciplinary
Internships show you a lot about your desired field, and how things overlap. Granted, you may not need all the geometric formulas you learned in high school, but you do need to be able to handle a fast-paced environment, critical thinking, and note taking all at the same time efficiently. Internships also show you how exactly all the puzzle pieces that make up the business interlock. Like, how the spreadsheets need to be accurate the first time because are used to order the necessary materials to make everything run smoothly. Learning how to make Asking questions is always a good thing!
N- Necessary
Most employers are expecting some sort of experience when hiring an up-and-comer. This little notion kinda makes internships necessary. Why they expect us to have five years experience right out of college, we will never know, but they do. They say internships guide us and teach us all about how the business works, and give us skills for a lifetime. How we attain these skills copying and stapling the mountains of papers they give us is unclear, nevertheless we continue to do as they ask. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!
T- Tenacious
"adjective ; tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely."
This word describes interns to a tee. We become our supervisor's shadow, hellbent on getting to know everyone and everything about the company. We're simply too nosey, and mildly afraid, of everything, so clinging to your superior gets you in to see the cool stuff! So we cling, ask questions, cling,walk around, copy papers, and cling.
E- Exciting
Even though we grumble and gripe about having to go to work, having an internship is actually super exciting! Feeling that rush when we do something right, and getting a good review from our supervisor solidifies our want to be apart of the field! Plus, we also kinda feel like real people, doing important things!
R- Respect
We get none. We are the lowest of the low, the bottom of the barrel. We have to get everything, sometimes even bathroom breaks, approved by the higher ups! No one talks to us in the break room... It can be hard. But, perserverance, dedication, and a smile go a long way! Maybe, just maybe, some of the employees will remember your name by the time you leave
N- Never Give Up
It can be hard going in every day, especially when the security guard says the wrong name EVERY TIME you walk through the door, but in the end--- it's worth it. Not only do we get a taste of what the real world is like, we get incredible life skills that will take us amazing places when we're older. Getting our feet in the door is pretty cool, too. Each internship is what you make is, and if you're determined to get that project started, or that idea across, nothing is stopping you from taking over that company one day.
Through the good and the bad, being an intern is an incredible experience.
Hang in there guys, it's almost over!
