There’s no doubt that you’ve heard about or experienced the dreaded interview process. The stories, in my case, are hysterical and the preparation materials are endless, but I’m here to provide first hand advice on how to conquer being an intern once you’ve finally landed the job.
By no means am I an expert — I’ll be the first to say that — but through my successes and blunders as a corporate intern, I have accumulated plenty of useful tips that will help you adjust to life at the bottom of the business totem pole.
The first and arguably most important skill to master is time management. To put it simply…
Here’s the ball, O. Be on it.
Now, you might be thinking, alright, Lizzie, everyone knows it’s important to be punctual at work, but consider these points:
During the semester, you have the freedom to decide how to study for a test or when to finish a paper, but in the corporate setting, this is no longer a luxury. Your poor work habits (if you are at all like me and occasionally procrastinate or fail to prioritize) are visible to everyone around you. What’s more, your time is dependent on the schedule of those that you’re working with. Allow me to remind you to save yourself the embarrassment and start ahead on projects to ensure they will be finished promptly.
This is harder than it sounds.
As an intern, you are most likely the last one on everyone’s to-do list. Sorry — that’s la vida — and in order to complete many of your projects you will be waiting on other employees’ clocks.
Here’s my advice to avoid wasting their time, and yours:
1. Make “Let me help you help me” your new mantra. When emailing or calling your manager for help on a decision, provide possible next-step options for him or her to choose from. This allows the manager to choose from your recommendations rather than take the time to come up with his or her own response, speeding up conversation time and enabling you to move forward. Don’t worry if you feel unsure about your ideas, whether he or she accepts your suggestions or not, your boss will be impressed that you thought it out for yourself in advance.
2. Schedule meetings as early as possible and provide follow-ups. When planning the completion of a project, be sure to pin down time to meet with employees you’re looking to discuss with before their schedules are completely booked. More importantly, be considerate of the priorities of other employees by scheduling the appropriate length of time (it’s always better to allot more time and finish early!) at the appropriate time of day (never dip into lunchtime or overtime). After your meeting, email a follow-up summary of the discussion, and emphasize any tasks that need to be completed. A little friendly reminder never hurt anyone.
3. Cut time by adding face time. Rather than always turning to email as the primary mode of communication, take a walk to employees at their desk and ask if they have a second to chat. If you have a quick question or need just a moment of their time, they will be more likely to spend a few minutes talking to you face-to-face than reading your email (which can be easily ignored), let alone crafting a response to it. You’ll kill two birds with one stone by making yourself known at the company as an approachable, personable intern, and also saving time.
I constantly rely on these strategies to remain timely with my own projects, and I hope that these suggestions prove useful to all you Illini interns surviving the nine-to-five this summer.