“Expectations versus reality”. We usually associate this phrase with something negative, but in the case of my internship at GOTO Amsterdam, the reality grew beyond my initial expectations.
I have started my internship back in August. I wasn’t sure what to expect from my role as a Marketing, Communication and Events intern, but I was just glad to receive the position. When I came to the office for the first time, I was beyond stressed and a bit lost. Especially since I entered the office about 20 minutes earlier than planned, and only saw two people. None of them was my internship supervisor… Fortunately, I did not have to wait long until one of my team members, which I’ve met online during an interview, came.
After a warm welcome and a tour around the office, it was the time to learn more about my internship tasks. The moment I have been waiting for, and luckily, I was not disappointed. Some of the tasks assigned to me included social media management, creating designs and event planning. Everything I have indicated as my interests before the internship had started. The list of initial tasks was much longer and has grown substantially since then. Constantly growing tasks were quite challenging at times, but I am glad that my colleagues let me develop and experiment in different areas. I would say that the opportunity to explore and try things myself has been a great learning experience.
To my fellow Communication Science students: If you haven’t started your internship yet, don’t stress out over everything. I have experienced that so you don’t have to. Thus, below you can find a few tips on how to start your internship on a positive note. I know that some things are easier said than done, but hopefully, these tips will at least help some of you.
3 Tips to start your internship on a positive note
- Approach your internship with an open mind. As simple as it sounds, not making too high or too low expectations in advance can save you a lot of stress and sometimes disappointment. In the end, you never know how your internship will turn out. And even if it starts on a less positive note, don’t try to put yourself down but approach the new tasks with an open mind. Maybe they will turn out to be better than expected.
- Be on time. A first impression can make a huge impact on your later experience, and in the end, none of us likes to wait for others. Maybe you can even come a bit earlier but no need to be at the office 20 minutes in advance. Believe me. Waiting for 20 minutes might be quite awkward…
- Don’t stress out over things you cannot control. Maybe your tram was late, and you didn’t manage to come to the office on time (hopefully that was the reason and you didn’t just disregard my previous tip). Then don’t stress out and message your internship supervisor or colleague. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. It’s all about how you approach the situation. Remember that your colleagues are also people and they probably experienced the same struggles at some point. So, try not to stress out over the smallest things.
I hope these tips will help you have a great internship experience. Remember, it is not about being perfect at everything you do, but about learning from your mistakes and tasks. On that note, I would like to thank the GOTO Amsterdam team for all the given opportunities, and I am excited to continue my journey next semester as a part-time employee.
Good luck to you all!
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