Preparing for Your Internship

Internships.  In the day and age where everyone is getting a degree, internships are almost a requirement to getting a big company to even consider your resume.  With this being the closest step to getting a job without being an official fulltime employee, starting your first internship can be exciting and nerve-wracking all at once.  Fear not!  Many people before you have interned, and chances are many people before you have interned with the exact company you’re about to work for.  You’re going to do great.  However, if you’re feeling nervous, here are some ways to prepare yourself for your first day:

On Your Mark: Physical Preparation

 

This is honestly half the battle right here.  Get everything prepared beforehand and your first day of your internship will run a lot smoother.  Some key points to think about are:

Living Accommodations: Have you figured out where you’ll be living for the next few months? Have you found roommates if you need them?  Do you need to pay rent or other bills? Do you know where/how to?

Wardrobe: What is the dress code at the workplace?  Do you have the appropriate clothes?

Location: Do you know where you need to show up the first day? How about when?  Do you know your starting date?

Drugs Tests and Background Checks: Some companies require these before you are officially hired.  Usually they will be written in your contract so you know about them beforehand.  Do you need to complete these?  Have you?

Pre-Internship Materials: Some internships requires their interns to do some work before coming into the office, be it pre-internship training, or reading materials about the project.  Make sure you complete everything before your first day!  Nothing is worse than starting off on the wrong foot with your boss of the next few months.

Lunch: This is a little smaller than the rest of them, but still a valid point.  The first week is going to be a huge adjustment for you (unless you’ve done this internship before).  Therefore, it will be much easier for you to have a prepared lunch with you instead of relying on buying lunch and realizing you don’t have enough time.  You don’t want to go hungry your first few days!

Get Set: Mental Preparation

Starting anything new can an exciting experience, albeit an anxious one.  Are you the kind of person who can’t sleep the night before the first day of the semester, a new job, or a big move?  Well, I can’t promise to help you get more shut eye, but there are a few preparations you can go through that might make you feel better:

Brush Up: Did they hire you for specific skills or knowledge?  Brush up on that.  Make sure you’re not rusty on your first day.

Dress to Impress: I know I mentioned wardrobe already in physically preparing yourself, but I feel it fits in mental preparation as well.  Whether the dress code is casual or business, dress in a way that makes you look good and feel confident.  The way you feel about how you look will leak into your confidence about how you work.

Remember: They hired you because they were confident that you would be able to complete the tasks thrown at you. Take a deep breath! If they believe in you, you should believe in yourself.

Go!

Your first day of your internship awaits you!  Whether they put you through a training process or have you hit the ground running, remember that you’re never alone.  You will always have someone you can turn to if you have a question.  Especially with big companies who have dealt with hundred or even thousands of interns before you, they will be expecting a lot of questions.  So inquire away to your heart’s desire.  Make sure you’re confident that you know what you need to do before running off trying to solve the wrong problem, and that you know who to turn to if you run across an issue.

Companies often use their internships to decide if they would like to offer you a fulltime position.  They will be watching to see how you go about your work, if you fit in the environment, and how well you get along with others.  Of course, you should also be using this time to decide if you would want to even consider a fulltime position with this company.  Do you like the environment, the people, and the work?  Only you can decide.  So put yourself out there and do the best you can.

Good luck everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic time at your internship.