Everyone has joined a new club or started a new job and played silly icebreaker games with the other new members or co-workers. Icebreakers are one of the best ways to provide a fun atmosphere while getting to know other people. Have you ever been asked, “If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things would you take with you?”
Okay, so a cubicle may not exactly be a deserted island nor are there only three necessary items, but I am telling you there are definitely some things I have compiled to make a type of “survival kit” for while I am at work. Whether I need a make-up touch-up, a low-calorie snack, or to manage my calendar, here are the items that I always have with me at my desk:
1. Weekly Planner
When I found out I was going to have a full-time internship this summer, I asked for a Kate Spade weekly planner for Christmas. My younger brother was thoughtful enough to buy it for me. Keeping deadlines for summer school, work, bills, etc. is essential when you have a lot on your plate. It is easy to forget things when you come home after a long day at work. Staying organized is key and time management will show your supervisors and bosses how serious you are when it comes to your internship responsibilities.
2. Coffee Tumbler/Water Bottle
Pick your poison. Personally, I take both my water bottle and my coffee tumbler to work every day. If I do not have my coffee right when I get to work and then again right after I get off my lunch break you would probably find me dozing off at my desk. No intern wants to be caught snoozing when they should be working.
I have heard coffee can turn into somewhat of an addiction, so in order to avoid any and all caffeine addictions I bring my water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the rest of the day. Not only does bringing your own tumblers from home help with the environment because you will not be wasting plastic or cardboard cups, but this also allows you to have a larger beverage with you at your desk so you can spend more time working instead of running to the café or the water fountain for refills.
3. Ibuprofen
I am not saying that my job gives me a headache, because I am seriously obsessed with my internship, but when you sit at a desk for the majority of the day and stare at Excel files full of data and numbers that need analyzed, the chances of getting a headache from straining your eyes is pretty high. There is no point in suffering through your day with a migraine because it will not keep you from having to get your work done. It is better to be safe than sorry.
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4. Comfortable Flats
Okay, I will admit I have always been the girl that refuses to buy “sensible” shoes (all of the high heels in my closet are at least 4 inches tall), but when you work in a corporate office running up and down hallways and stairs going to meetings all day it is completely necessary to have comfy flats to wear. You will get blisters. Your feet will ache. Those gel inserts for heels will not keep your feet from hurting. Do yourself a favor and keep a comfortable pair of nude (this color will match any outfit you happen to be wearing) flats at your desk for those days when your super chic heels are simply killing you.
5. Band-aids
Did I mention that you would get blisters? Good, because in any shoes blisters will occur (especially if they are new). Keeping a little first aid kit or a box of band-aids at your desk will allow you to have a quick fix. Pop on a band-aid to stop your shoes from rubbing on the blister. Problem solved. Band-aids will help with paper cuts or any other office ouchies, too.
6. Low-calorie Snacks
My parents have always joked that for being the smallest one in my family I am always the one eating the most… usually about every two hours. It is hard to work an eight to five without getting the munchies. In order to avoid wasting my money on unhealthy, sugary vending machine candies, I like to keep a box of breakfast bars or protein bars in my desk. These little snacks are inexpensive, low calorie, and can keep my energy up so I am alert and focused at work. Keeping low-cal snacks at hand is easy on your wallet and on your calorie-counter.
7. Make-Up Kit
My mother is easily my best friend and completely understands my need for great make-up and looking put together. Before I left for my internship, she gave me an amazing Estée Lauder make-up bag. I make sure to take this with me to work every day. I keep eyeliner, bronzer, oil-blotting pads, lip-gloss, and perfume in my make-up bag. You never know when you may need a touch up. No girl in her right mind wants to be walking around a corporate office with an oily face or smeared eyeliner. Having a make-up bag in close proximity is the perfect way to keep your make-up looking fresh and natural. Presentation and first impressions are key in an internship. You never know whom you are going to meet or when, make sure you look professional and presentable at all times.
8. Breath Mints
This seems like common sense, I know, but keeping mints at my desk is a must. Whether I am just sitting at my desk working on data reports and want a little something to chew on or right before I go into a meeting with senior management, I want my breath to smell fresh and not like the coffee I have been chugging or the breakfast bar I just snacked on. Think about it. When you meet someone with bad breath will you ever forget that his or her breath stinks? Probably not… so just avoid the chances of that happening and keep breath mints nearby.
These eight items might not be the same items that you have to keep at your desk at all times, but these are just some of my personal must-haves. Compile a little work survival kit of your own. I promise it will come in handy for you in a time of need and you will be so thankful that you took my advice.
Photo Source:
http://www.corrico.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=119230
http://www.vexinthecity.com/2010/10/how-to-sweeten-your-mum-up-this.html