By Marisa Fiore
Starting a new internship can be kind of scary. You want to make sure you give a good first impression and get along with your fellow intern(s) and coworker(s). Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your summer internship and leave a lasting impression.
Don’t Be Bored. At some point during your internship you will have down time. Instead of sitting there on your phone scrolling through Facebook or Twitter, get up and ask your supervisor if there is anything they need help with. Even if it is just to file some papers, you will be taking the initiative to help and to learn everything that you can. You may even be given something really important to work on. You never know!
Keep Track of Your Time. Most work places want you to keep track of everything you are doing and how long it takes you to do it. Keep a planner next to you at your desk at all times and write down that it took you 20 minutes to write out those notes from the meeting you just attended. If you are a paid intern, keep track of what time you get in in the morning and what time you leave in the afternoon. Depending on the day, your supervisor might let you go early and if you are paid by the hour, you are going to want to write that down in your time sheet.
Write Everything Down. Seriously, write everything down. It is important to have notes from every single meeting you attend and to have dates, times and phone numbers written down as well. If your supervisor or one of your coworkers forgets something, you are most likely going to be the first person that they will come running to with questions about “that conference call two weeks ago.”
Do Your Best Work With a Smile on Your Face. Even if you are given the simplest task, like reorganizing a closet, do it well. Put your all into it with a positive attitude. You never know who might be watching and if you stay positive about every task, the people around you will notice. Don’t do any assignment carelessly. Do everything as if you were getting graded on it. It needs to be your best work, so don’t sacrifice time to get something done if you are on a deadline.
Network. I don’t know how many times this can be said, but NETWORK. The people around you are the professionals in your field. Make sure you get to know them. Ask them if they would like to go to lunch or if you are 21 and over, ask if they would like to get drinks after work. Never turn down a networking invitation unless you have a really good reason. The people around you want to get to know you, so let them!
Follow Marisa on Twitter at @marisafiore1
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