I started my internship at Crocs in February. Although Amsterdam was still freezing cold, my pair of Crocs offered me the coziness I needed as I embarked on this journey. Starting a new job is never easy, especially when you are the only intern on your team. Through this short blog, I aim to give you the ins and outs of my journey and tell you it is not as terrifying as it seems.
Crocs is a big and renowned company, and as you may have noticed, these funny shoes are getting more popular in Europe by the day. However, at the end of the day, it is still an American company, and nothing could have prepared me for the number of conversations I have had with the US team, even as an intern. The first month was the scariest – from meeting my colleagues in our small office in Hoofddorp to meeting my colleagues from across the ocean. Add to that a bunch of tasks that seem impossible to solve. Let me just tell you that although it might look like you will not make it to the end of your first week alive, you are just an intern. And by no means am I saying your work is not valuable (trust me, it is more important than you can imagine). On the contrary, you are there to learn and ask questions, and people will be more than happy to see a fresh face – with little to no experience in corporate life – eager to hear them and absorb all the knowledge they have got to offer. Don’t be afraid! Go around the office, introduce yourself, have coffee chats, and you will see how many doors suddenly open for you!
Another big thing I have learned is people make mistakes. And yes, that includes you as well. Don’t stress about it too much, it is inevitable. You will not be the first nor the last to make a mistake in your company. Remember, most of the time these mistakes can be fixed. Let me give you a piece of advice though. Don’t try to hide it, and don’t waste too much time fixing it yourself. There are plenty of more experienced people around you who can help, and no, they will not be mad at you or give you less responsibility because of this. Learn to own it and to deal with it because most probably it will not be your last mistake.
As with your daily tasks, there will be days when you just love what you’re doing, and days when you can’t wait to get home. Don’t let this get to you. Yes, your job can get boring, but you are not stuck there for years. If you don’t like what you are doing, talk to your manager and find other things, take on projects, shadow other teams, and just make the most out of this experience.
Lastly, please remember to have some fun! Meet other interns, even if you don’t work with them directly. Go to the company’s events, here is where you actually network. And don’t forget to say a proper goodbye to your team. These things go a long way, and you never know when your paths will crocs again.