I honestly couldn’t tell you how much caffeine I had taken in during my summer internship, but when you’re learning about an entirely new business trade, let me tell you: the amount of information can be staggering. Business meetings and information can be a lot to handle so a waking up in the morning with some food and a jolt of caffeine is a good start. Be warned though, there is a saying about too much of a good thing. Too much breakfast can put you to sleep, too much coffee and you’re up all night long. I had to learn that one the hard way.
2. You will be in an entirely new environment:Working as a new intern at a corporate company was intimidating to say in the least. I had done my research and knew what an amazing impact they had. My first week in, I hit the ground running and was in a string of conference calls and business lunches. Half the time, I had no clue what I was hearing until I wrote it down and read 50 articles about it later. The amount of information seemed crazy at times, but after awhile it turns into information you already know rather than information TO know.
3. Listening is more than just nodding your head:This one was a hard task for me to figure out at first. I never wanted to look like I didn’t know what the other person was talking about, but after awhile there was a point where I just stopped myself and thought, “What the heck is this?” Odds are if someone took the time to talk to you about something, they are passionate enough to want you to understand it. Asking further questions about it or them will make you seem more approachable and knowledgeable about the topic, and you may actually learn something!
4. Always be curious:The amount of things I knew about the company I worked at before I worked there could probably fit on a small pamphlet, and now I could probably write an entire series of books on the company and it's industry. My first week I would go home and crash from the information overload. It was a whole new world, and each time I found something that interested me it threw me into another entire sector of the industry I didn’t even know existed. It was amazing how much I was learning and growing, and I now have an incredibly large library of facts and figures about my company, it’s products, and the corporate environment.
5. Know what you’re talking about:Let’s be honest here, we’ve all had our moments in time where we lied our way through a conversation to another person to act like we know what they were talking about, but in the corporate world that just doesn't fly. If you do speak up, or tend to lecture someone about something, knowing what you’re talking about helps. If you don’t, ask someone you know who does understand. The worst thing you can do as an intern is sit there looking like an idiot because you don’t understand what’s going on around you.
6. Ask questions, but ask the right people:Odds are someone somewhere will know the answer, or know where to find the answer, but asking a sales manager a statistic about data is definitely going in the wrong direction. It was a good thing I worked at a company where everyone could tell me who to talk to if I had a question, and it was fun working with different types of people doing different projects. There’s no shame in making sure you understand what is going on.
7. Talk to people about what you’re doing:Surprisingly enough, a lot of people were quite curious about what projects the new interns were working on. I had a lot of people give me advice on who to talk to or what to look for when doing research, and if people have a spare minute they always have an opinion on what looks or sounds like a good idea and what does not.
8. Talking to people in person is better than emailing them:Being an intern, I know my emails won’t be read first. Asking a quick question in person not only gets that question answered, but also leaves a personable mark with the people you’re talking to. People remember a face and a conversation more than an email.
9. Sitting at a desk all day staring at a computer screen is boring:I know this may seem like a no-brainer, but mind you this was my first internship ever, so there are some things I just didn’t think about. If you are stuck at a desk, there are still plenty ways of keeping yourself on task or entertained. Talking to co-workers about projects, researching a wide range of topics, and even going for a quick stroll during lunch will help you get out of that “chained to the desk” feeling. Listening to music with headphones is also a great way to entertain yourself without bothering anyone else.
10. Be yourself:I was so incredibly nervous for my first internship. I was a doe-eyed girl with absolutely no clue how to work in the corporate world. Around my friends and people I knew, I was loud and personable, and I wish I could’ve let my co-workers know that earlier on, because I missed out on some great opportunities to talk to some great people.
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