Some elbow grease, a couple of panic attacks, and much anticipation later, you’ve gratefully received news that you’ve landed your dream internship for the summer. Now what? The word “intern” is often associated with the thought of a temporary position (anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months) within a company. The dictionary defines an intern as “a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, at a trade or occupation in order to gain work experience.” Regardless of the amount of pay you will or will not be making, it is crucial that you make a good impression on your employer during the time you spend interning for them.
Follow these five tips and you’ll have your boss begging you collegiettes to stay!
1) Do research on the company you’re interning for. Before you go ahead and jump into a new work environment, take some time to figure out what you will be dealing with. Company goals, current projects that may be taking place, and your company’s competitors are all subjects you may want to familiarize yourself with. Your boss will appreciate and recognize good character in you when seeing how knowledgeable in the company you already are.
2) Become familiar with your job duties. We all know “teacher’s pets” weren’t favored growing up, but now that we’re not immature, nose-picking children, it’s okay to work a little bit harder to get on your employer’s good side. Coming into work knowing what is expected of you will only help you succeed during your internship. Even if you aren’t necessary labeled as a professional in a task that is being asked of you, give it your best shot. You’ll get an A for effort!
3) Grab a map and become comfortable with the area you’re in. If your internship requires you to move to unfamiliar territory, that is. Nothing looks worse than showing up to your first day at a new job late. Punctuality is something that is not only expected, but also highly honored in any workplace. If you know you’ll be moving into your temporary abode with some time to spare, go explore your surroundings. You wouldn’t want to mistakenly hop on the A train instead of the L train now, would you? (New York City dreaming over here.)
4) Do a social media cleanse. It isn’t uncommon for an employer to try and Facebook stalk you once you’ve landed your dream position. I’m sure we’ve all heard this statement a bunch of times, but everything you post on the Internet truly isn’t private. Go through your Facebook and delete any inappropriate pictures you’re ashamed of. That not-so-sober default of you double fisting on your friend’s 21st birthday? Yeah, that one should probably be kept for the books and not for the e-world to see.
5) Use social networking to your advantage. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with using social media. The trick is to use it to your advantage rather than have it sabotage your relationship with your employer. For example, LinkedIn is a great website that is available for young professionals to make connections and network over the click of a button. Build relationships with people that have similar goals and aspirations as you do. By doing so, you might even find someone to mentor you through questions you may have in the future.
Any new experience may be overwhelming and appear as a bit of a rollercoaster with its ups and downs. Don’t stress! Remember, you’ve already got the internship. Now it’s up to you to stand out from other workers and leave a remarkable impression on your employer.