With the summer just starting, many first-time interns are zipping up pencil skirts and entering the professional world. Your first internship can be scary. Trying on actual work clothes can seem like a real, adult-world shock when you’re a college student who’s used to rolling into class in “Norts” and flip-flops. Conversations about work projects can feel like a foreign language when you’re used to talking about your lecture notes or your weekend plans. Even your strategy of completing tasks in the office can be different from class.
But fear not: I’m personally starting my third internship, and I know that life is certainly full of mistakes, but here are a few things I wish I would have known before my first internship.
#1: When in doubt, wear a cardigan:
Okay ladies. First things first. Do yourself, and your company’s image, a favor and research appropriate business dress for your industry. For women, this generally means shoulders covered, no cleavage during the daytime, heels under 3 inches, and skirts no higher than 2-3 inches above your knees, for less conservative offices. Chipped nail polish is a no-no, and please don’t buy heels taller than your balancing skills allow. Equip yourself with the knowledge of what the elusive term “business casual” actually means, and always, ALWAYS, dress more conservatively than you would think appropriate on the first day. The quote “It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed” applies here. It will take time to develop an office style, but please note that you shouldn’t be overly trendy. A personal rule I use when picking outfits: Don’t wear anything Jackie Kennedy or another first lady wouldn’t wear.
#2: Keep your head down and your nose clean:
Although it may be tempting to critique coworkers and supervisors if something goes wrong, remember that you are not at college in your sorority’s living room, or at Starbucks with your friends, where it’s gossip central. Never, ever speak negatively about coworkers, superiors, or the company you are employed by in general. The fastest way to get a bad name in the office is to speak ill of others. If you feel that something should be done differently, the professional way to address the situation is with your supervisor, in private, and in a polite, non-accusatory tone.
Office gossip is the complete opposite of what you should be doing — which is networking, forming positive relationships, and providing favors and ideas to benefit your company. Your negative attitude will do no one good, and will come back to haunt you in the reference letter you receive after you complete your internship. If you get caught in the unfortunate scenario where a coworker is complaining about a superior to you, do not agree, do not engage, press the big red “ABORT MISSION” button. Simply go back to your work or say “I think he/she is doing a great job with …” and leave it at that.
#3: Ask questions:
It always seems like there is one intern in the office that is skittish about asking their supervisor about direction or confronting them about work in general. Realize that as an intern, you are expected to not know what/how to do things, and that asking questions about tasks is the most productive way of completing them. If you assume how to do something, and end up doing it wrong, I guarantee your supervisor will be more annoyed about having to check your work and send it back to you than they would have about taking five seconds to answer your simple question in the first place. Don’t haunt your supervisor’s office, but a legitimate question should always be welcome. Besides, it’s good to show that you are concerned about completing tasks correctly, and that you actively seek direction, and possess good listening skills. It speaks volumes of your character to ask questions rather than to assume things.
#4: Offer to take on extra tasks:
Don’t be the intern that waits for a coworker to physically walk to their cubicle and hand them a task. Work quickly, work effectively, and when your tasks are complete, ask different supervisors or coworkers if you can assist them with anything they may need. It shows a good work ethic, and it’s a great way to get to know — and get on the good side of — people in your office. It also shows that you are a team player; unless you are specifically assigned as an assistant to one employee, your goal as an intern should be to make your company as successful as possible, which means helping everyone.
#5: ALWAYS say “good morning” to coworkers:
This is pretty self-explanatory, but very important. Greet coworkers with a smile every morning. Show a good attitude and that you are happy to be there. If you are not a morning person (like most young adults and college students), get yourself a Keurig and chug a big cup of coffee on your way to work. Look awake, look presentable, and start your work immediately upon arriving to the office. No one wants to employ a college kid who looks like they haven’t woken up before 9am since high school. Don’t roll into the office with wet hair, wrinkled clothes, or looking like you’re still asleep. Get it together and smile.
#6: Get business cards:
This is something that I wish someone would have told me before my first internship. If your employer does not offer you business cards, go to Vistaprint or another online place for ordering business cards and get yourself a stack. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met recruiters or other potential business connections, closed a networking conversation with them by offering my business card, and the impressed look that follows. It’s the easiest way to give someone your contact info and shows that you know how to be professional. Students’ personal business cards usually list their school, graduation year, major/minor, a few marketable skills, and a link to their LinkedIn or blog. Think of the style of your business cards as representative of your personality and professionalism, kind of like your workplace wardrobe. It’s also worth it to pay extra for a cardstock that is thicker than the standard-priced cards.
#7: Learn how to communicate professionally:
In this day and age of texting and online communication, I remember being shocked when a former employer conducted nearly all business over *gasp* real, old fashioned, phone calls. If you are not used to talking on the phone in a professional tone, as many college students today are not, it’s a good idea practice before your internship. It’s always awkward when you don’t know exactly how to take a message for someone, or don’t know how to answer the phone correctly. Once you get to your internship, write down a script for answering the phone on a sticky note and place it next to your phone. It’s a good way to get used to answering calls for your company and not forget any information.
Another note on communication: Please, please brush up on email etiquette. Always include a greeting and a closing and have an appropriate email signature. Emojis are almost never acceptable for workplace emails. Be polite, and conscious of the fact that some phrases used in texting or more casual emails can come off as passive aggressive in professional emails.
#8: Lastly, learn what networking is:
Ah, networking. I barely knew what that term meant before my first office experience. Nobody ever told me how to have a networking conversation before I was tossed into my first workplace social hour event and released into the wild, so I admit this is a skill I’ve had to learn solo, and I’m giving you tips so that you don’t have to rough it like I did.
It’s hard to explain, but networking conversations are basically just talking to someone about work-related interests, plans, goals, or other various appropriate topics. Never go to a networking event without business cards or some other medium of representing yourself. Your goal for networking is NOT to get something out of the person you’re talking to, but more like just finding a common ground and having a pleasant conversation. Please avoid heavy, controversial, topics. Instead be casual, warm, and polite.
Networking does not come naturally to hardly anyone at first, and can be scary. Don’t get discouraged. Just remember that you get better with practice and that you’re simply having a casual chat. Close the conversation as soon as it starts to get strained, and if you’ve connected with the person on a topic, offer to keep in touch about said topic, and politely offer them your business card.
These are just a few tips to help give you a clue if you’re in for your first office experience. Be confident, present yourself in the best way possible, and remember why you’re working there in the first place. Your first internship should be an invaluable learning experience, and with a good attitude and work ethic, you will succeed, no doubt about it.
Take my suggestions with a grain of salt, and for internship tips, advice, and stories from real pros, like Leah Campos and Gayle Trotter, register for the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute’s Campus to Capitol Intern event!
“Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, ‘She doesn’t have what it takes’; They will say, ‘Women don’t have what it takes.’”
– Clare Boothe Luce
