If someone had told me 5 years ago that I’d be doing an internship at one of favourite companies, one associated with one of my most loved hobbies, I would’ve laughed in their face. But here I am, doing exactly that. Having landed a six-month internship at Japanese sporting-goods corporation, Mizuno, I have learned more than I thought I would; about myself, business activity, marketing, e-commerce, the list goes on. As I am now nearing the half-way mark, I want to share 5 crucial things that I’ve learned from my internship so far.
It’s everything but a smooth ride
Curveballs can be thrown at you at any internship, where you feel lost, anxious and confused. Within two months, two of my supervisors had left the company, leaving me as the only member of my team. However, my biggest take from this experience is that being thrown in the deep, is the best way to learn. You’re deliberately forced to take responsibility for tasks, to communicate with internal and external colleagues, and make crucial decisions. You will pick up skills faster and more efficiently than you could have otherwise. Keep in mind, you’re always learning, even in times of hardship.
Don’t stay quiet – you’re there to learn!
One of the easiest things to forget is that you are never responsible for any mishaps. An internship is not a full-time job. It’s an opportunity to gain as much knowledge as possible, given real-life business activities, issues and tasks, allowing for a surge of knowledge in all fronts. That being said, no-one expects you to be an expert, so there is no shame in asking for confirmation, help or advice.
Nothing beats a good relationship with your colleagues
Entering a professional environment is intimidating! You may feel set apart from your colleagues; they’ve known each other longer, they could be older, more experienced. It’s important to remind yourself that they’re all human and also, shockingly, actually have personalities outside of their professionalism. Many offices host social events, allowing the opportunity to connect with your colleagues outside of office hours. Try to attend as many as possible! This will make coming to the office every day that much better.
Read, read, read!
If you’re like me and your internship lasts six months, you may slowly lose track of your elegant writing skills that you applied so easily to your university essays and reports. Understandable. I encountered this issue, as I struggled to come up with short, snappy and enticing messages for social media. We often underestimate the influence that reading can have on our ability to formulate creative and structured sentences. Try to fit in a chapter or two of a new book or a couple blog posts here and there and soon enough, you’ll be back on your writing mojo!
Networking is your best-friend
I leave you with my last and honestly, most important point. For many, an internship stands at the beginning of their career – a first taste of the professional world if you will. You never know where your future will take you, where you’ll live, what your future job prospects will be. It’s always a good idea to have connections at your fingertips, as you never know how and when they will come in handy. That being said, take any and every opportunity to network with your colleagues internal and external to your office. Expand that LinkedIn network!