1. Provide Input
Working at your first internship position as a student can be exciting. Finding the ins and outs of your company early on is a must. Often times throughout their internship experience students might feel that they are a burden on the company and that they are taking more than they are giving. However it’s important to remember that you have the necessary knowledge and skills to benefit even more experienced departments. At my first internship position I was faced with the perception of being too young to contribute meaningful input. However after a while my fresh and new ideas brought excitement within the department; even the older and more conservative colleagues were willing to give it a shot! Any time you have ideas or a suggestion don’t be afraid to speak up, it could be the game changer the company needed.
2. Saying No Is Okay
As exciting as it is to work your first corporate job it’s equally overwhelming. Department sizes vary however in my case with a marketing department of only 8 people we had to move fast! Close deadlines, new projects, expanding demands and more was expected from us. Once you have found yourself overworking yourself even when you are supposed to be resting at home, don’t hesitate to discuss the workload with your host supervisor. Especially since you are a University student with classes and assignments they will understand and even appreciate the honesty. This way the team can plan ahead while realistic expectations are set by all parties.
3. Help Your Colleagues
Your colleagues will be there for you in good times or bad times. The dynamics of office politics can be quite difficult to navigate for a rookie. How do you break bad news? How do you handle stressful situations with your team mates? What happens if a deadline is missed? Whatever situation you might be in you can always count on your colleagues… thats if you are genuinely kind to them. Helping your colleagues to complete their tasks or simply even making small talk can go a long way.
4. Your Network Is Your Net Worth
Expanding on the previous point, meet as many people as you possibly can. Meet the people within your marketing department and get to know them. Once you have built rapport with them go further and meet other employees from different departments. If possible, network with people from other companies while on zoom calls, linkedin, or business conferences. The more people with different backgrounds that you meet, the more opportunities you will have in the future. If you are successful then there will be opportunities for mutual collaboration, they might even recommend you to a firm of theirs.
5. It’s The Journey That Counts Not The Destination
The last tip is have fun! See this as an opportunity to expand your communication science horizons and enjoy the journey. Often times we are rushing in life and never really present. Although its good to plan ahead no one knows what the future has in store. Try to get as much out of this experience as possible and know that everything you learn will be of use to you in the future. Good luck and have fun!