As spring quarter comes to a close, you may find yourself at the beginning of your new job or internship. You might find yourself wondering what to say or do when you first arrive on the scene. I’m here to give you some of my tried-and-true tips that I implemented and will continue to use as I return to my internship this summer.
- Dress to Impress!
First impressions matter, and that includes your attire. Not all internships will require you to dress to the nines, but many may require business casual. You can still find ways to inject your personal style into your professional look, but make sure it’s still work-appropriate (looking at you, Office Siren). Personally, some of my best finds have come from Nordstrom Rack, Macy’s and Abercrombie (my favorite dress pants came from here). I’ve found pieces that are simple, elegant and feel like me.
- Take Notes.
And I don’t mean on your phone! Lean on the side of caution and get yourself a notebook or notepad. The last thing you want to do is look unprepared. So use this opportunity to take notes, whether it’s sitting in on a meeting, or taking notes on your assignment. Being an active listener is a huge sign of that you care about your internship.
- Ask Questions.
At some point in your internship, you will feel lost. That’s okay! They don’t expect you to know everything. Any boss would much rather you ask the question and get an assignment right than not ask and potentially waste both of your time on something that could’ve been easily corrected. This also applies to aspects of the organization you are curious about that are not your responsibility. Make sure you are asking at a good time so they can explain to you this additional part of the job. It’s an easy way to foster relationships and help them grow. The more comfortable you feel asking the question, the better your supervisor will feel to entrust you with a task.
- Fake It Until You Make It.
You won’t know everything about your position. But when you feign confidence, you will trust yourself a little more and your supervisor will trust you a little more. So long as they know you will come to them when you really need help, the smaller anxieties about trying a new project are something you can tackle. I got handed new projects I was afraid to try, but I trusted myself to do my best and it turned out alright. So when you walk into a room, do so with pride!
My biggest tip of all is to understand that you deserve to be there. It is nerve-wracking and challenging to start a new position. You were hired for a reason, so give it your all. An internship may only be a few weeks long, so soak up everything you can in that time frame. You will have a great time if you let yourself. You got this!