You made your first steps into college: you got in. You went to class, met the teachers, made new colleagues, learned about different subjects, and now it is time to apply for an internship. It wasn’t easy, but you made it: you sent your resume, had an interview, and got it.
But…what now? What should you expect from this first job as a full-grown up person with duties and responsibilities? Are you allowed to make mistakes, or will it make you look bad on the market forever? Will you be in constant competition with your coworkers? Will there be endless demands and no more free time for you? In other words, should you expect your internship to be as crazy and stressful as the movies made it seem to be?
Don’t worry, I’ll answer all of these questions and more right now.
I got my first job in the second semester of college and, like any other anxious student, I got nervous and, suddenly, had a thousand doubts popping into my head. What will it be like? Will I have fun, like in the movie “The Internship” (2013), and be in a demanding but dynamic environment? Or will I be busy 24/7 and have no time for anything, like in the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006)?
When we watch movies about work or college students on their first job, we don’t always get a positive vibe from those environments. It seems like our daily routine will be college and work, only, and that we have to be perfect, otherwise we fail. Some movies go even further, showing the workspace as a big danger game, where there’s winners and losers, and the competition is always on, like the beginning of “The Hating Game” (2021) or the movie “Swimming With Sharks” (1994). All of these representations of internship make it look more scary than it actually is.
If it’s not as crazy nor scary as movies make it seem, how is it like to be an intern in real life?
First of all you have to keep in mind that you are still a student, you’re still learning, therefore, you don’t have to know everything. You are after an internship not only because the college may require it or because it is good for your resume, but because you want to put your theoretical knowledge into practice, you want to expand your know-how. To do that, you must test yourself and what you already know, which includes having doubts and making mistakes (but, of course, it depends on what kind of mistakes too).
When you start your internship, you’ll agree to a contract, where you know what rules you’ll have to follow, rules that vary according to the place you’re working for. The company policy is something everyone must know and respect. If you don’t agree to a certain rule, you can always question it, because every relationship is based on communication and everyone is entitled to an opinion, especially in a work environment. Same thing goes for when you have questions about your tasks, or if you’re not sure about something related to the job. There is always going to be someone above you that you can ask for guidance, help, or even advice.
When it comes to mistakes, as I said before, they are acceptable, even expected – since you’re in a learning process – but only when they’re reasonable. You’re probably going to go through a training stage before you actually start the internship, so you can pick up the dynamic of the tasks you’ll be assigned to. That’s the time you have to make mistakes and improve them, so when you start for real, you’ll know what to do. But, again, we are humans and error-prone, so if you do make a mistake while working, it is important to fix it immediately and make sure your leaders are aware of it.
Second of all, if you’ve been chosen for a certain position, it’s because the company believes you’re capable of performing the work, if not, they wouldn’t have hired you. You’re there for a reason, and it is not to go grab coffee for your boss, but to be part of a team and help this team achieve its goals. There are going to be times when you’ll have a lot of demands and times you’ll have lesser demands, but it depends on many factors, like period of the year, number of staff, clients requests, and others. Overall, most companies have this demand flow variation, which can occasionally create a more agitated workplace or a more calm one. However, keep in mind that everyone has their role, you won’t be asked to do someone else’s job, unless it is extremely necessary and, even so, your leaders will check with you your availability.
It can be hard, but not too much
Thus, after all that’s been said, we understand that being an intern is not as crazy as it seems in the movies. We might sometimes have more work to do than usual, creating a more agitated environment, like in “Set it Up” (2018). But, don’t worry, you won’t have to be your boss’ matchmaker to decrease your demands like in the film. You just need to focus on your tasks, and your coworkers will work on theirs.
There will be work environments, though, that are naturally agitated, depending on the career path you chose. For example, if you are studying to be a doctor, you have to be prepared for a non-stop internship, because it is a major that demands it while being a resident, much like “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005) – without the extra drama and gossip. Careers in entertainment, especially in production, also require more action and movement, which might give an agitated work environment vibe as well. Like I said before, it depends on your major, but it isn’t something impossible or unimaginable.
Also, you’re not going to face unusual tasks like the games Billy, Nick and other interns play in the movie “The Internship” (2013), but you can participate in events with your company and also might organize as a way to connect with your coworkers. It can also help if you take a break from your work daily routine. You don’t have to see your colleagues as competition, nor be afraid they’ll steal our ideas or sabotage you, like it happens on some movies and shows, like “Look Both Ways” (2022) and “Start-Up” (2020). Everyone inside your workspace has the same goal and they’re there to help each other achieve it. It’s supposed to be a collaborative environment, not “Hunger Games” (2012). It is all about communication and dialogue, everything can work out if everyone works together to make it happen. [Oh, my, it almost feels that I’m becoming a life coach].
Anyway, I hope everything said here helps to ease your worries and answers some of your doubts about being an intern. Here’s advice of mine: be organized – when you know what to do and when to do it, time will seem to be on your side.
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The article above was written by Giovanna Scarpari and edited by Amanda Moraes. Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Cásper Líbero home page for more!