Picture this: It’s the first day of your internship. You walk in with your high hopes and high heels, expecting to spend the day in meetings with top executives sharing your insight on the latest magazine issue. Instead, you get greeted at the door with a list of coffee orders that need to be made in 15 minutes – tops.
Not what you expected? Well, don’t worry. Internships are not always like that, but some can be. The point is: in order to make a good impression and eventually climb up the ladder, it’s important to know how to be the best intern you can possibly be. Below are some tips that senior managers/editors have given and from my own personal experience, on what bosses look for in their interns.
1. Grab Coffee with a Smile.
If your manager asks you to grab a cup of coffee, don’t be bitter about it. If you take the coffee order with a positive energy and complete the task within a reasonable time, your boss will take notice of that. If you’re passive aggressive about it and take two hours to get one cup of coffee, your boss will notice that too. The more you complete tasks such as these with a smile, the better chance you will start recieving bigger and more important tasks.
2. Fill in the White Space.
If you ever find yourself sitting with absolutely nothing to do, ask not only your manager, but the people around you if there’s anything you can help with. If you see something that needs to be done, do it. Proactive interns like these get noticed quickly, rather than the ones who sit at their desks twiddling their thumbs. It also shows that you want to be useful and spend your time wisely.
3. Don’t be a Skintern.
According to Urban Dictionary, the definition of a skintern is: an overly underdressed intern. In other words, don’t show up to your internship in a skirt that barely covers your bottom, a tube top and stilettos. Be sure to dress professionally every day, even if you see other employees at the office dressing otherwise.
4. Don’t be Afraid to Share your Ideas.
If you get invited to a meeting, don’t think that just because you’re an intern, you have to stay quiet. Managers love when interns can give their opinions at work because it shows that you have a voice. It will feel even greater if your manger takes your input into action!
5. Show Passion.
There’s a reason why you applied to this specific internship, and there’s a reason why you were hired. It’s because you showed passion in either your portfolio, resume, cover letter, or interview. It’s important to keep this passion going even after you are hired, because managers like to see that you love the company and the work that they create. If you don’t like the work that they create, then it’s probably not a good idea to be interning there.