So you’ve snagged an awesome internship for the spring, or you’re thinking about an internship for this summer. You’re ready to go – you have new business tops and pencil skirts, and you can’t wait to get started. But are you really ready? In my experience, the smallest things can affect your overall internship if you are not diligent.
Read these helpful tips so you can make the most out of your interning experience:
- Don’t Tweet, Facebook, or post about your so-called #internproblems.
It’s tempting to share your frustration with your friends (or the entire online community), but keep from complaining and divulging too much information about your internship to the public and to friends. People who work there have Facebooks and Twitter accounts too, and you never know who will see your posts.
2. Be thankful!
So many college students search for months to find an internship, and don’t end up getting one. Be thankful that you managed to find one! Let this happy attitude shine through in everything you do – if you are asked to rearrange the magazine shelf, do it with poise and with knowledge that you are making someone else’s day a little bit easier.
3. No gossiping.
It’s always exciting to make new intern friends, especially in a new work environment, but don’t ruin your chances for a future job or a future internship by sharing too much information at the workplace with one another. Workers in the office can hear things even when you think they can’t, and it can reflect poorly on you as a person. So refrain from telling your new friend about the cute boy you hooked up with the night before, and instead, meet up for drinks to talk once the workday is over.
4. No revealing outfits.
I don’t care if you work in the trendiest office in New York and there isn’t a strict “dress code” — showing too much skin is never appropriate for an intern. Even if your boss and other workers are pushing the limits, do not think that you can, too. It can come off as disrespectful and presumptuous. You are there to show off your professionalism and your value as a team member, not to show off your legs.
These all may seem like no brainers, but it is easy to become comfortable in a new environment and lose your tendency to be diligent. Remember that during an internship, every second counts, and each minute that you’re trying to pull up Facebook on your phone, you could be helping someone work on a new project.
Photo credit: Twitter account @internproblems (https://twitter.com/#!/InternProblems)