It's kind of like the first day of school all over again. I'm looking forward to that fresh start full of new opportunities and new friends. But at the same time, will they like me? Will I do a good job? Who will I eat lunch with in the cafeteria?
To prepare myself for the next three months, I've been reading article after article about how to be the best intern possible. From the 5 mistakes to avoid as an intern to 50 tips for a successful internship to 5 tips from a current PR intern. And if you really want to be well-informed, check out this ultimate guide for PR interns. Seriously, it has 15 links for landing and succeeding in your new internship, plus advice for non-interns. It will quickly become any aspiring PR professional's Bible.
Equipped with this knowledge, I came up with three goals to fuel me this summer. Hopefully, you can use them as a guide for your internship as well. Good luck for everyone starting a new internship or job this week. Congrats! We are in this together!
1. Network // Leading up to securing an internship this summer, I scheduled informational interviews with as many PR professionals as possible. Each new connection was a potential opportunity. A potential internship. A potential to learn. Don't lose sight of this fact once you've landed your internship. Go get coffee from the kitchen in the morning and chat about your weekend. Smile at the girl in the bathroom washing her hands next to you. Say "good morning" to the receptionist when you come in. Just as before, these connections are incredibly important. Making a good impression now will pave the way for future opportunities that could even turn into a job. Be friendly! Meet new people.
2. Learn // Be a sponge! Soak up everything you can. This is why you are doing what you are doing. If you don't know how to do something, don't be ashamed to ask. Your supervisor knows that you don't know it all, as much as that might be hard to admit (it certainly is for me!). Volunteer to do something that you've never done before. If you stumble along the way, at least you pushed yourself to do more. And your superiors will notice that. Grab new opportunities when they present themselves, even if you aren't directly instructed to do so. Pay attention in brainstorming meetings and offer to help out on a task. Your co-workers will appreciate the assistance and it shows you are self-sufficient and eager to help. Each new opportunity is a chance to learn.
3. Improve // While you are there to learn, at the same time, you want to make sure you are getting better. Ultimately, you need to be so valuable to your employer that they can't (or don't want to) get rid of you at the end of the summer. And just taking initiative is not enough. You have to be good at what you do. You don't have to be perfect when you walk in the door on the first day, but after a few weeks, your supervisor should be able to tell that you are getting better. Stretch yourself to succeed each and every day by trying something new. And also, ask for a review. In case your internship doesn't already have this built into the program (mine does), schedule a mid-internship review. Ask your supervisor what you are doing well and also what you could improve on. Be able to take constructive criticism to heart and don't get discouraged. They chose you for this position because they saw potential in you during your interview. Now, kick it to the next level. You can rock this!
What are your goals for your summer internship? Also, any advice for new interns?
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