This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at City London chapter.
Internships. Internships everywhere. It has finally arrived that lovely time of the year when we are (almost) done with university (oh, hello dreadful exams) and we are all looking to gain a bit of experience before lying on the beach, travelling somewhere or even just eating lots and lots of ice cream without any worries. If you have already arranged any kind of work experience, here are our 6 best tips to not only survive but to successfully get through this experience (and if you haven’t and internship, check out this article!)!
- 1. BE ON TIMEOld story: punctuality is essential. Don’t start complaining – really, please, don’t – I know it’s hard but it’s the first thing your mean ‘supervisor’ will look at. Be sure to set your alarm clock and try not to party too much on the night before. Coffee won’t always save your ass.
- 2. DRESS TO IMPRESSForget about your sweatpants and your Snoopy T-Shirt (I don’t mind if it’s your granny’s present, and your boss won’t either). At least on your first day try to put an effort while choosing your outfit. Let’s be clear, you don’t need to wear a gala dress or anything like that. A pair of jeans and a nice shirt will be enough, and you are even allowed to wear your favourite sneakers! Just try to dress casual but letting them understand at first sight that you are a professional person, ready to work for them.
- 3. BE PROPOSITIVEIt may happen that you find yourself stuck doing nothing because it’s a quiet day and there isn’t much going on. Don’t wait for the others to come to you and give you tasks, try to go first and ask people if they need any help. They will be more inclined to remember your name and get back to you whenever they need something.
- 4. ASK FOR CONTACTSWhoever you are working for or with, don’t forget to ask for their contact details. They might be really useful in the future, and there are chances that they’ll want you to work for them again if you prove to be good enough.
- 5. TALKTry to avoid being the shy-intern guy. Talk to the person next you (if he/she is not too busy) and ask to share his/her experience. If you have any doubts, ask! If you have questions about your future work career, don’t just shut up and keep your worries or curiosities for your own. Internships are made for this: to share experiences and to learn something new in order to be finally ready to work at the end of your university career.
- 6. SMILEAlways remember to smile. It’s not a torture! (yeah, I know, you’d like to throw your alarm clock and lie on the couch all day, but all this will pay you back someday, I promise). Even if your task is to make coffee or buy other people’s meals (The Devil Wears Prada docet) try to do it with a smile on your face. It will benefit you and the people around you.
Now, if you have made it to the end of the day, go out for a pint with your friends, you well deserve it! And as Steve Martin said, “Be so good they can’t ignore you!”