The Do's & Don'ts of An Internship
Internships can be daunting experiences, even the prospect of it can be make even the most composed person feel a bit nervous. It's just a natural reaction. I did a copywriting internship a few years ago and, shortly after, landed my first office job as a copywriter in the centre of the city.
But over the course of my internship, I learnt so much that I've decided to give some advice about undertaking one. A couple of years ago, I wrote one about things to consider when looking for an internship, so this is almost like a follow-on from that. What should you do or not do now that you have your internship in place? Let's take a look.
The do's of an internship
Do be well-prepared
First impressions are everything when it comes to an internship. The person or organisation you're doing the internship with is likely the one who will give you your first job reference or there might even be a job for you at the end of it if you do a good job, so starting off on the right foot is an absolute must.
Some of the things you can do includes bringing enough pens and pencils, a notebook or two, being early or, at the very least, on time to start the day. Make notes during meetings and ask around to see if you could share some of the minutes you have taken. Showing this initiative and your ability to be part of a team is all a good starting point if you have just started an internship or if you're going to be starting one soon.
Ask as many questions as you want
Don't ask questions for the sake of it just because I've said it's a good idea. They should still be worthwhile questions, perhaps asking someone for more information or getting someone to explain something to you if you don't quite understand something. This shows that you're willing to learn and take new information and ideas onboard to sit with your own. This way, you'll be able to share more during meetings.
Be productive & proactive
Try your best to be a team player, taking a proactive approach with everything you do over the course of your internship. For example, let's pretend you have finished all of your tasks way before the deadline, you should then ask others in your team or department if there's something you can help them with or if you can relieve them of some of their workload rather than just sitting there waiting for your next instruction.
Get involved as much as possible
Starting an internship is daunting, especially if you've never been in such a setting or environment before. However, you should still try your best to be as involved as possible with projects and contribute what you can to team meetings. Sitting idle by or keeping quiet just because you're shy won't actually teach you anything.
Yes, you might just be listening, but it's important that you get to grips with workplace structures together with when you should and when you shouldn't contribute, for example. It's all part of confidence building and this is essential for getting on in your career. Even if you come out of your shell slowly, you're making progress and you'll soon find you'll make your mark on their business when you leave.
The don'ts on an internship
Don't be unprofessional
Basically, being unprofessional constitutes doing the opposite of everything I've said above. Don't turn up looking scruffy, for example, stick to the dress code. Don't be late, don't turn up unprepared etc. Use your common sense on this one. Get an early night so you aren't falling asleep at your desk, absolutely refrain from flirting with your peers as well. You should behave respectively and professionally. You're in a workplace environment, not a club or a bar in the middle of town.
Don't be a pessimist
We've all had bad days at work and it can be easy to ask yourself why you bother, but at the end of the day, that's just how it is. That is life. It doesn't mean to say that you hate your job or that you find it boring or dissatisfying. It's just something you get through and learn from to make you stronger in the future.
It's all about building up experience so you shouldn't feel as though you're failing or doing a bad job. Don't go around thinking that this job isn't for you because of one bad day or a mistake you've made. Just take it on the chin, learn from it and carry on, as we all do.
Don't get too stressed out
If you're feeling stressed then you won't be as productive as you might have done had you have been cool and calm. If you face a challenge then deal with it professionally and ask for help if you need it. A problem shared is a problem halved and team work plays a huge part in this.
Making sure you're calm throughout and remember that you're there to learn. You haven't been brought on as an intern and expected to know everything. Your employer knows this so don't put too much pressure on yourself.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that you found it somewhat useful? Let me know in the comments whether you've done an internship, are due to start one or have just started and how you either found it or are currently finding it. How do you feel about starting an internship in the future? I'll see you again very soon with a brand new blog post :)
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