How to Prepare for my Internship
This blog post was written by Peer Career Ambassador, Davele Zephyr ‘19.
Sooo, word on the street is, you got a job! Congratulations! All that time spent on what I am sure was a long application and stressful interviews have paid off because you got the offer and now you are about to start working! Woop woop! Now with your internship quickly approaching, while I am sure you are very excited, you may feel a little nervous about what to expect and how you can present your best self. Stick with me throughout this blog, and I will share a few tips to help you best prepare! Let’s get started.
Learn about the company and the industry. Check out the company’s website, social media channels, recent news headlines, and all other sources you can think of to gather updated information about the company. Knowing such information will allow you to engage in conversations with colleagues upon starting. Additionally, just understanding the inner workings of the company will allow you to feel more comfortable and thus ease your transition into this position.
Prepare questions and speaking points. Keep in mind, you don’t just come to an internship to work, you also come to learn. With that said, as you browse through the company resources, develop some questions that you want to ask your workmates. These questions should focus on key aspects that you would like to learn about the company, where the answers can help guide your career trajectory. If you aren’t asking questions during your internship, you’re doing something wrong.
Practice your commute. I am sure you do not want to show up late on your first day of work, right? So to avoid being late, be sure to practice your commute during the time you will have to commute just so you become familiar with the route. Doing this, especially if you’ll be working in a new city, will help to ease your nerves about getting lost or running into transit mishaps.
Layout your outfits. Be sure you understand the dress code and have the appropriate clothes to wear. I would recommend dressing on the more formal side to begin and adjust your outfits based on how you gauge the dress culture of the office. And of course you need to have a bag to compliment the outfit, whether that be a tote, backpack, or briefcase, you need to make sure that you have all that you are expected to have in that bag. For example, in my past internship “first days,” I had to walk with two forms of ID to accompany my I-9 form. Please pay attention to all the materials you need!
These are the main pointers I have for you as you prepare to rock your internship. Just remember to be yourself and fully utilize this opportunity to explore the functions of the company, understand the industry the company resides in, and grow as a professional!
Feel free to reference WayUp for more pointers!