Pimp Out Your Fall Internship !
1 09 2009Let’s be honest. You want to be the BEST intern this fall. You want to be the ONLY intern that your employer really pays attention to. YOU want to be the intern that gets offered a job at the end of the semester. Hey, it’s a competitive space – I understand. Here are some tips to help you really impress your boss and pimp out your fall internship:
1.Predict the Future. I know you’re not a mind-reader however, it doesn’t hurt to think about what you will need, what questions you should ask, and what you should bring. The key is to be over-prepared so that nothing slips through the cracks. Students should ask their internship coordinator questions about parking, directions, hours, dress code, supplies needed, and how lunch works ahead of time. These questions should all be put together nicely in one email. You shouldn’t have to send your coordinator several emails. You don’t want to annoy them before you first day.
2.Pick Out Your Internship Uniform. Students often dress nice the first few days of their internship and then start to slack off. Decide what your internship uniform will look like. This does NOT mean you will wear the same thing each day, it means that you will put thought into what you wear. Afterall, the way you dress does impact your first impression. For girls, your internship uniform might include cardigans, slacks, pencil skirts, and business jackets. For the guys, it’s usually an array of ties, business suits (if required), and nice pants. You never want to include jeans or flips flops in your uniform. Once you decide what type of clothing you will wear, it will be easier to mix and match your options and quickly get ready for your internship. Dress properly from your first day until your last day.
3.Please, Ask Questions. I know that on the first day anything, no one wants to be the one to speak up and ask questions. Get over that – quickly. I cannot tell you the amount of intern mistakes I have seen because of people that don’t ask questions. It’s normal for you to NOT understand how the company works during your first few weeks. Ask any question you have and if you employer seems annoyed, ask them who you can ask should you have questions. If your coordinator or boss has an assistant, that is the person who you should direct all questions to.
4.Talk It Out. Fall internships are wonderful but they can make your life pretty hectic with school, work, and/or other commitments. If your internship hours need to change, if you are working too late, if you need to study for a test – speak to your coordinator about it. You will find that most employer’s offering fall internships are quite flexible and will understand your issues. The only problem comes when you keep your frustrations inside and don’t express your concerns. Make sure to always be polite, speak properly, and be friendly.
5.Tuck Away Your Technology. Although I’m sure you look cool, I suggest keeping your Iphones, Blackberrys, Ipods, etc. out of your internship. You can have them in your pocket or in your purse but everything should be silenced the second you walk in the door. Even the vibrate function can be awkward when someone is explaining a task. Too many interns spend all day texting under the desk or Facebook-ing. Save that stuff for later on. It’s all a quick way to tell your employer that you have better things to do.
*For more internship advice, please check out my other blogs on I AM INTERN, http://www.internqueen.com. If you would like to apply for internships please check out my listings site at http://www.quarterlife.com/intern.
#1 your blog is awesome. #2 the advice in this post is right on and awesome. Part of my area of responsibility is to match students to customized and very meaningful internships. Almost nothing gives me more satisfaction.
My unsolicited advice is to understand that for the semester you actually work there and you are a contributing member of the organization. Whether your internship is paid or unpaid that doesn’t change. Take full advantage of the networking opportunities afforded to you.
Shake hands, greet clients, ask if there are meetings, events and functions you are able to attend – even off hours. Carry contact cards with you just like you would business cards and hand them out when appropriate. Ask for business cards from those whom you meet and send a LinkedIn invitation with a nice note in the body – not the standard template sentence.
Show initiative by asking for projects. If you see something that could use improvement or have a hot idea, write a short proposal and submit it and ask for feedback (keep a copy). If it’s adopted hurray. If not, it will provide you with valuable experience. At the end of the internship ask for an exit interview – just as if you were an employee.
Great advice ! Thanks for reading Karla
One of the easiest ways to starting pimping out your fall internship is to introduce the company to technology solutions. Become the person who gets twitter, facebook, youtube, etc. You can execute on this things immediately and older generations will love you for it. Also, great use of the term “pimp out” – I like it!