It’s important to take advantage of all of the learning opportunities and experiences we have in college, this usually means having a summer internship. Whether you’re participating in person or online, here are some tips to help you impress your boss and make the most out of your summer internship.
Dress the part
Figuring out what to wear is one of the most important things to prepare for so that you don’t stand out (in a negative light). You need to determine if the dress code is business professional, business casual or casual. Asking about the dress code is probably a good question to ask your manager or advisor before you plan on going in. If you are still unsure of what’s considered business casual or business professional, here is my rule of thumb: business professional is a suit with a blazer or jacket and business casual is a blouse or button up top shirt with a skirt or work pants.
Create a schedule
Having a summer internship can take up a lot of your time and probably means you’re gonna have less time to hang out with your friends or relax like you usually would during the summer. So, it’s important to plan ahead to make sure you still have time to do the things you really want to do over the summer. I suggest planning the week before to know what times you want to hang out with your friends and family and making sure that doesn’t conflict with your work schedule. I also recommend sectioning out time to make sure you have enough time to sleep at night and wake up in the morning to prepare for work. It’s also important to make sure at least in the first week of your internship that you are not only at work on time, but arrive early.
Research the company
Knowing a lot about the company you are interning for might seem super obvious, but there are some basic things you might be surprised you don’t know. So, doing a quick Google search about the company or organization you were going to work for is a good idea just to be sure you don’t miss anything. It also might be helpful to find a picture of your boss or advisor so that you know what they look like and are able to introduce yourself to them when you recognize them.
Be humble
It’s important to remember that as an intern your job is to be as helpful as possible. Keep in mind that you don’t know as much about the industry or field you’re working in then those around you. So, trying to be as much help as possible and being prepared to take on extra things if needed is essential if you want to get a good review and be well-liked as an intern.
Be prepared with questions
One of the easiest tips I can give you to impress the people you work with is to ask valuable questions. If you have downtime, it can be beneficial to you to ask questions and learn as much about the industry or field you’re working in. This is also a good way to start a conversation with the employees around you and to determine if their job is something you would like to achieve in the future.