I write this blog starting the last week of my 6 months long internship and as my life as an intern comes to an end. I am currently finishing my internship at a Dutch luxury clothing brand: Denham. My position was as Digital E-commerce Intern. It feels like it was yesterday when I applied to every single internship on the UvA job board. As I type this blog, it is a bittersweet feeling that in only 4 days I will no longer be a part of the E-com team.
In this blog, I would like to share the top 5 things I have learning during my time as an intern.
- Give all you have no matter what the task is. Even if the task seems too small or unnecessary or easy to you, put 100% of your effort into it. Many days I had to do a task like renaming the pictures after a photoshoot, which seemed like an unimportant thing at the beginning. However, I later learned that renaming the pictures in a specific order is extremely important because the order is how they will be uploaded and how they will appear on the website. This will help you build strong working ethics, and your effort will be noticed.
- How to take contrastive criticism well. Nobody likes to be criticized, especially after putting a lot of effort into something. Of course, when constructive feedback is coming from a good place, it is for the better. During the internship, I needed guidance to know how all the programs worked, and how to do my duties. Along the way I made mistakes and I was told about them. All the feedback I got from my supervisors and colleagues was for my good so that I didn’t have to work double and for my growth. It is important not to take criticism personally.
- Set priorities. Don’t say no to tasks you have to do, but do set priorities. When the new season started, I had many different tasks to do. Of course, not all of them were due on the same date. Therefore, it is very important to focus on those responsibilities that need either more work or are more important. In my case, doing German and Dutch translations for the website is less important at that moment than creating web pages for the website launch.
- Respect your private time. It’s important to know the boundaries between work life and personal life. As a student is very difficult to differentiate between these two as I was always thinking about the next article to read or the next assignment. However, at Denham, I realized that it is possible to separate these two.
- It is okay to make mistakes. As a professional overthinker myself, I find it very difficult to let go when I have committed a mistake, especially if the mistake has consequences for other people. One of the most important things I have learned is once a mistake is made, it is made. There is no reason to keep roaming about it. So, the only thing you can do is to find a solution and try not to make the same mistake again. It is key to look at the outcome of the mistake as a learning experience and not simple consequences.
I hope these 5 pieces of advice help you in your future internship!