Walking into the first day of your internship 20 minutes late wearing the wrong apparel and not bringing a pen isn’t exactly the perfect way to start this amazing opportunity. With a new internship, it’s all about starting off on the right foot, if not four steps ahead. That’s why contacting your internship supervisor beforehand and asking certain questions is so important! Lucky for you, we have a cheat sheet of questions that will get you ahead for your first day.
1. What is the dress code?
Some offices have strict dress-code policies, while some are much more lax. While a nice skirt and blouse is by far your safest bet, asking about what shoes are appropriate (your stilettos are most likely not going to be the most comfortable footwear option) and other accessory choices are going to save you from embarrassing yourself in the wrong clothes.
Two weeks before you start your internship, call your internship supervisor and ask what attire is appropriate. Anna, a Washington State University student, says her email about her internship prompted her to buy business clothes. “I thought a nice skirt would be okay, but they wanted pantsuits and button-downs,” she says. “I’m happy I called.” By asking this question, you’ll ensure that you look your best!
How to word it:
“What is the dress code for the office? Is there anything I should steer clear of wearing?”
2. How does compensation work?
Knowing if you’ll get a paycheck via direct deposit or if you’ll be handed an envelope twice a month (or if you’ll be paid at all ) is very important. If you don’t ask how this works, you’ll wish you had asked once your rent is due!
This is also an opportune time for your employer to explain if you’ll need to go to Human Resources to fill out paperwork or not. Asking about a month beforehand via email is the best way to do so.
How to word it:
“I was wondering how the payment works for this internship. Am I paid on a monthly or bi-weekly basis, and how do the payments get to me? Is there a time I can come into the office to fill out the necessary paperwork?”
3. Whom will I report to?
You don’t want to walk in the first day with absolutely no idea of where to go or whom to talk to. Call or email HR the week before your internship starts and find the name and room number of the person you’ll report to.
How to word it:
“I am a new intern and I am starting next week. Whom do I report to on my first day?”
4. What will an average day be like?
Will you be fetching coffee? Making copies? Working on special projects? Answering phones for eight hours? Get a general idea of what your day will look like in an email to your boss a month beforehand to give yourself some peace of mind. Also, if the internship you signed up for and the tasks they give you don’t match up, you can say something now before you’re two weeks in with no chance of escape.
How to word it:
“On a typical day, what do you have your interns do for you? I’m trying to get a clear picture of what my schedule will look like so I come prepared for the work.”
5. What items should I bring with me?
While bringing a pencil, a pad of paper, your phone and your keys is a great start, make sure there aren’t other items that will help you on your road to internship success. Sending an email a week before will give you plenty of time to get any materials they ask of you. Being prepared will show how serious you are about this internship, and it also means you won’t be without a trusty calculator if the situation calls for it.
How to word it:
“Is there anything besides the basic necessities that I will need for this internship?”
6. Will I be expected to work overtime?
Bosses can expect a lot of an intern, and sometimes that means adding extra hours to your week. “The fact that I would be working overtime was never discussed,” says Carmen, a student at Brown University, of her internship experience. “Once I started working, though, I found myself working overtime every week, and I wish I would have asked so I could have organized my time better.”
Asking a few weeks ahead over email to see if you will be expected to work overtime can help you plan out your week, and you’ll see if there could be extra money in your future.
How to word it:
“While I have been asked to work these hours for this internship, will there be a possibility of me having to work overtime? If so, how many more hours would you expect me to work?”
7. What time should I arrive in the morning?
Being late is obviously unacceptable, but arriving three hours before you’re supposed to get there is awkward and doesn’t leave enough time for your supervisor to prepare for your arrival. Most employers will have you arrive around the time your supervisor does, but double-checking can’t hurt. Call HR the week before and ask (especially if your boss wants you in her office with a fat-free, half-caf latte as soon as she walks in).
How to word it:
“What time do you arrive in the morning? Would you like me to be in the office at that time, too?”
8. Is there parking available?
If you’re driving to and from your internship, parking four blocks away is going to be a little annoying after a few days. Ask over email if the company has parking for interns, and if not, ask if there is parking nearby. Make sure to check if it is free or if you need to pay a small fee. This way, you don’t have to drive around the block for 20 minutes looking for a spot on your first day.
How to word it:
“I am planning on driving to the internship. Does the company have parking available for me, or is there parking nearby that I can use?”
9. How does my lunch break work?
Are you expected to eat inside the office? Can you leave? Make sure you know how your lunch break works so you can pack a lunch or bring money with you if you need to.
Also, in your email, ask how much time you get for lunch. Lunch breaks can be used for other things such as appointments or phone calls, so find out how much time you have. “We worked all-day shifts, so if we wanted to make appointments, we had to do them during lunch,” says Elise, a Syracuse University student.
Tiffany, another Syracuse University student, had the same situation. “I called my supervisor before I started my internship and asked if I could have appointments during lunch, and he said as long as I came back at the correct time he was fine with me spending my lunch however I wanted,” she says.
How to word it:
“I know I have a lunch break at this time, and I’m wondering how that works. Am I allowed to leave the office to eat? Also, would my lunch break be an appropriate time to make appointments?”
A small reminder: Your emails and phone calls should be as few as you can make them so you don’t overwhelm your supervisor’s inbox and voicemail. Send multiple questions in one email if possible, and have a list of your questions prepared for when you call. Success comes from being prepared, and with the answers to these questions, you’ll be ready to take on anything your exciting new internship throws at you! You already have the internship (thank goodness!), but now it’s time to really wow your supervisor with your initiative by asking a few questions.