How to Prepare for Your Summer Internship

By Lorena Roberts on April 29, 2017

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Starting a summer internship? There are some things you should do to prepare yourself (and the company) for your presence over the next few months.

Google search yourself

It would be wise to see what lies in the search results. Your soon-to-be coworkers are bound to do it. Check your Facebook, too. You don’t want anything wild showing up as your first impression, do you? Privacy settings are real and important. It would behoove you to check on that before you show up for your first day.

Review the company’s website

Don’t look like a doofus when you show up and know nothing about the company’s online image. It’ll be important for you to be familiar with all parts of the company. Trust me, read up on what the company stands for.

Never say no

Whether it’s making coffee or copies, your job as an intern is to learn everything. Walk into this internship knowing that you may have to do some things you don’t exactly want to. But it’ll be important for you to show a strong work ethic and do it anyway. Prepare yourself to leave a positive, lasting impression on your employer and coworkers.

Write some thank you notes

Anyone who helped you land this internship deserves a hand-written note from you. It’ll make you look good and respectable if you take some time to be sincerely appreciative. A little bit of work can go a long way.

Prepare yourself for some major kissing up

If there’s any ounce of you that wants to turn this internship into a job afterward, prepare to do some major impressing. Towards the end of your internship, it’ll be important for you to express how interested you are in becoming a true part of the company. Make some good connections and anticipate staying in touch — they might be your connectors to your dream job in the future.

Make a bucket list

Likely, there are things you want to learn or accomplish while at your internship. If you sit down beforehand and make a list of all these things, it’ll be much easier to assess how you’re doing in the middle of the summer. Make a note on your calendar to review this bucket list. After all, you want to get the most out of your internship, don’t you?

Assess your wardrobe

This is especially important for the first few weeks of the internship. You’re making an impression. Make sure you’re showing up to work in something that’s appropriate and respectable. Basketball shorts and a tank? No thank you.

Connect with your mentor

After all, that’s what they’re there for, right? Ask them what you should expect and what you need to do/know walking into your first day.

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