Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

Start with a Bang!

Start with a Bang!

The first day of any summer internship always brings first day jitters. The feeling of nervousness and anxiety are completely normal when starting the first day on the job, from your first internship to your last job. This first day is seen as key in setting up how the rest of your experience in the organization will go. Even though these feelings are unstoppable to have, there are a few tips you can follow to make sure you are fully prepared for the big day.

  1. Set out your outfit a previous day. Choose an outfit that goes accordingly to your firm’s attire, but most importantly makes you feel confident. This sense of security will carry throughout your interactions with your colleagues and supervisors. Make sure to get rid of wrinkles and stains if necessary.
  2. Map your route. To make sure you make it on time for the first day, map out the route you would take before the first day comes. Choose a day previous to the start of your job to see where your job is located, get a feel of the area and be comfortable with how to get there. This will prevent you from getting lost or being confused, thus allowing you to be on time.
  3. Read UP!  This is extremely important. We all prepare for interviews by reading up on the company and our interviewers, this same process should be applied before your first day of work. Look over the company’s website and recent news, try to look up your supervisors and team members. This will allow you to get in the flow of the conversation more quickly and to perform in align with the organizations values and vision.
  4. Be yourself and be excited. Remember, you got chosen for this position so you have the skills and traits to great in it! People in an organization value honesty, especially when someone is honest about who they are.

I hope these tips help you out for your first day. However, one of the most valuable things I have learned is to create my own first day routine and follow it. Nobody else knows you better than yourself, so address the things that will calm you down and give you confidence. Keep perfecting this routine every time you start something new, so that you can start focusing more on how great you are going to do rather than feeling nervous about making a mistake. Best of luck in all of your internships!