How to Prepare for an Internship
Receiving an offer letter to any internship is a great feeling. People often don’t realize that there is more to just receiving an acceptance in the mail. It could take days, weeks and even months to hear back from any company. The struggles that I had to face and the hard work I put in paid off. But people often don’t realize that the hard work doesn’t stop after you receive your offer.
Once you have secured an internship position, begin preparing for your new job. Review the job description and offer letter and take note of what you will be doing. Give some thought to what you want to get out of your internship experience. After reviewing everything, reach out to your alumni network and see if there is anyone that works at the company and ask them any questions or share your concerns with them. Your questions can be about anything from the obstacles they may have faced to the company’s culture. This will help you clear up any confusion and get a deeper understanding of how the company operates.
Although you may have done research on the company before the interview process, it is important to have as much updated information as possible before starting your internship. It’s important that you, as a new employee, know what is going on before starting. Find out everything from social media channels, recent news headlines and even customer feedback and reviews. The more you know before you start, the easier the transition will be.
Additionally, coming in with questions and concerns for your manager will help you learn more and discover what you might be interested in. Starting your first day off by asking questions will clear up any confusion. For example, when I started Skillsoft, I wrote down notes and questions that I had so I could ask my manager in our one on one. I find this to be helpful and still do it to this day. As an intern you are not expected to know everything, so it is important to reflect on what you write down during the time you spend shadowing. Getting to know your manager before starting is crucial because he or she will be able to answer any type of question you might have, whether it be about dress code or what to bring on your first day.
If you are an early bird and like to start the day off working, then there is no need to train yourself. However, if you are a night owl, getting into the habit of waking up early and going to be earlier might help alleviate stress on your first day, especially if it is in person. If the internship is remote, going to bed early a week or two before it starts might help your body feel relaxed and ready to work. As someone who is working remotely, there have been times where I wake up late and do not feel motivated to work. However, going in person is a whole different story. You also should know how to get to work and how to face any kind of issues along the way. If you can, do a practice run of the commute beforehand, so that you feel less stressed on the first day. There is nothing worse than being late on your first day because you could not figure out how to get to work.
Lastly, it is okay to feel nervous about your first day, especially for your first internship. One thing that you should keep in mind is that the company hired you for a reason, and they believe you are the perfect fit for the position. Making mistakes is inevitable, especially for an intern since you are new to the professional world. Just remember to showcase your eagerness to learn, motivation and positive attitude when you start working.
