You got a summer internship: YAY! But you have no idea what to expect: not so yay… It’s quite common to be offered a full-time position with a company you interned with or worked for over a summer. Think of it as a trial run for a full-time career! Here are some tips to make you the best intern that has ever walked through their doors.
Network: Smile and introduce yourself to everyone you come across. Not only will you look awesome when you know everyone’s name by the second week, but everyone will remember YOU. Think of this internship like one big networking event. Real networking events are hard, so why not do it in small doses and one-on-one sessions in everyday situations? When a position opens up, they will remember the young professional who already knows how the company works. Just remember there’s a line between kissing up and being friendly.
Dress appropriately: This is a given, but it’s important to mention because of some disastrous outfits I’ve seen in professional settings. You don’t want to be labeled as the person who wears clubbing clothes to the workplace! The first few days are going to be a struggle when picking out something to wear since you’re not too familiar with the company culture, but during your interview/hiring/orientation process, try to scope out what others are wearing. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than being over or underdressed in an already stressful situation like starting a new job. Leave the bejeweled shirts at home.
Be punctual: You are at an entry-level position with no authority. Be on time to show you care about this job. If you are using public transportation that isn’t too reliable, give yourself more time for late buses. It sucks having to wake up earlier, but when you are one of the first people in the office every day, you’ll stand out!
Come prepared: Bring a notebook and a pen to jot down notes. You never know what could be important! It’s also very useful to help remember what your specific responsibilities are since you will be expected to retain a lot of information at the beginning. Just make sure that it’s not a weird-looking notebook (re: my Captain America notebook that I used for sketching at one point).
Learn the software you will be using: If you were told you would be learning a new software, research it a bit before your first day. Having some sort of knowledge on the software puts you ahead on day one, even if they weren’t skills required to be hired. Look up tutorials on Lynda (FREE and very in-depth tutorials available through Pitt), YouTube, Pinterest and even the software’s website. Adobe products like InDesign have thousands of help pages to give insight into the product.
Be resourceful: We live in the age of technology. Use it. Most of your problems and questions during the first few weeks can be solved by searching around on the company website or other documents. Not sure what the order number was? Look around in the files. Don’t know when an event is? Check the website or their social media pages. Need a phone number to call a client? There HAS to be a customer database or list that you can check. Try not to bother your supervisor with mundane questions that can be answered with a little digging around, but if you really can’t find it, don’t be afraid to ask. Better to ask and do it correctly than to have to go back and fix a mistake. When in doubt, Google it.
Consistency is key: Don’t know what this project is supposed to look like? Look at past work that the company has put out in order to “keep the brand consistent.” Unless otherwise stated, you are creating an extension of the brand, not reinventing it. Creativity is great and absolutely encouraged, but you want to work within some boundaries. If you are working for a large company, they probably paid someone a lot of money to create their image, so you should adhere to it. You don’t want to create more work for someone else who has to go back and clean up your work to better fit the company.
Speak up: If you know of a more efficient way to do something, tell them! You know how busy things can get for any office, so why not make things easier? You can create value and improve the workspace for everyone. Just because you’re an intern or on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder doesn’t mean you can’t have great ideas. Being new to the company means you have fresh ideas and can think in different ways than everyone else who might be stuck in a box.
Be willing to do the lame tasks: Interns almost always do the “Jerry Work” (for those who don’t watch Parks and Rec, the boring stuff) of the office just because your supervisor has more important things to do than stuff envelopes. Yeah, getting coffee is no fun, but use it as a chance to meet everyone (and become their favorite person when you deliver their afternoon pick-me-up). Odds are, the projects you’ll work on won’t be the most important, so you are going to be the one who can be sacrificed to pick up more paper or deliver something.
Learn something: Don’t forget that this is a learning opportunity for you. Try to lean about all the aspects of the office to see what you want to do after graduation. Ask to sit in on meetings so you can understand the full picture. Your supervisor can be a valuable source of information, too! You can have their undivided attention to ask specific questions about the industry or for career advice. Just be conscientious of their workload and level of interest. If they don’t have time for it, ask to grab a coffee after work sometime instead.
Work hard and good luck!