This is a repost from The Good Intern’s blog. Read more posts here.

Starting a new internship can be scary on it’s own, but starting a new internship and receiving hardly any guidance is a nightmare!  Believe it or not, I’ve been faced with the dilemma of having to teach myself the ropes a couple of times.  Whether certain employers feel that their interns are self-sufficient enough to figure things out on their own, or just don’t have the time to lay out the welcome mat, the fact is that as an intern you need to possess certain survival skills just in case you end up having to fend for yourself.

Pay attention

A good habit in any situation is to get a feel for the office environment as soon as possible.  With a little observation you should be able to tell how employees communicate with each other, what the relationship is like between employees and the boss, how casual the setting is, etc.  Being attentive should help you fit right in.  If you’re tucked away in a cubicle where it’s a little more difficult to view the interactions, use your initial conversations with the staff to make some strategic observations, or simply ask what you should expect.

Realize when you’re being tested

More than once I have had an employer who seemed to like to “test” new interns, trying to determine how much they can handle.  If you are given a pile of paper the size of Mt. Everest to file or are delegated some other impossible task before you’ve even warmed your new seat, don’t freak out.  Realize that it might be a test to see how you react in a stressful situation.  Overcome the situation by staying calm and working through it.  Becoming stressed or anxious will just cloud your mind and impair your judgment.  If you’re still being given unmanageable things to do about a month after you start, then you are allowed to freak out.

Ask questions to the right people

Asking questions to clarify a task you’ve been given is never a bad thing.  It’s better to be safe and ask rather than to be sorry if you mess something up.  At every internship I’ve had, I was able to find at least one person who ended up being my go-to person for questions.  This person was always glad to help and understood that it’s tough being new to a company and expected to do a lot of different things right off the bat.  Granted, I always found this person through an interesting process of trial-and-error.  Try asking several questions to numerous people in the office and it will become obvious who gets disgruntled or doesn’t seem to want to be bothered.  Think through your questions before you ask them to make sure that you’re not wasting someone else’s time on something you could have figured out on your own.

Become friends with the old intern… STAT!

The person who will be able to give you the most invaluable advice in the whole company will be… you guessed it- the old intern/interns.  Not only do they know exactly what you will be dealing with, but they will most likely be happy to fill you in on the details.  If you aren’t given the opportunity to transition with them, ask someone for their contact information and shoot them a quick call or email to introduce yourself.  Get their permission to contact them is something comes up you think they might be able to help with, and then utilize them.

Please share if you have had an internship where you had to figure things out for yourself.  How did you manage?  Did you still enjoy your internship?

Michelle Pence is the author of The Good Intern, a blog designed to offer witty and straightforward advice to college students about interning and preparing to enter the workforce. Michelle attends Missouri State University, and she has held eight internships in the three years that she’s been in college.

Photo original link: Google Images

According to dictionary.com, the definition of an internship is “any period of time during which a beginner acquires experience in an occupation, profession or pursuit.” OK new intern. You’re there, eager to learn and to get your feet wet. But what if your supervisor or boss tramples your enthusiasm with everything but practical experience? One thing is for sure – you’ll learn how to deal. Here are three less-than-ideal situations you may face in your internship, your rights as an intern, and advice on how to deal.

1. Employers shall not treat interns like full-time employees.

Your employer is treading in illegal waters if you are working as an unpaid full-time intern (35+ hrs a week). As stated by the Fair Labor Standards Act, an intern must meet six qualifications. Two of the qualifications include: a trainee should “not displace regular employees” nor should an employer “derive no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees.” Internships that do not meet these qualifications must pay at least minimum wage unless the program is at a non-profit.

How to deal: Use your best judgment. It is understandable to sacrifice a wage if the internship is at the company of your dreams. Even though it is illegal, you probably still think: “I’ll get to meet the right people; it is an opportunity to get my foot through the door.” If you feel comfortable, stay. If not, run! Either find an internship that pays (yes, they do exist,) or search for structured programs that include seminars and mentorship.

2. Employers shall not treat interns like janitors, personal assistants or gofers.

During the #internchat I participated in a few weeks ago, someone mentioned they clean the office when there is nothing to do. The reaction from the hosts Heather Huhman, CEO and President of Come Recommended, and Lauren Berger, the Intern Queen, was: DON’T DO THAT! It doesn’t hurt to tidy up your workstation, but your office responsibilities should not include extensive cleaning. The only exception is if it’s a responsibility all office members share. You should not be doing anything your employer would not do him or herself. The same applies if you find yourself constantly fetching coffee, making millions of copies and running personal errands for the employer.

How to deal: If you are not learning, you are not interning. Highly reconsider the internship. What can you possibly be learning if you are too busy mopping and running to Starbucks? An internship is an opportunity for YOU to learn, not to do chores. Have more self-worth and take your valuable work ethic and enthusiasm elsewhere.

3. Employers shall not treat interns rudely.

There are two kinds of bosses in the world: the polite and the difficult. If you have a polite, caring boss, good for you! But for the rest who deal with difficult bosses, you are in a tricky situation. Keep in mind that there is a difference between being stern and being rude. Sternness should be expected. A boss has the stressful position of managing a business. He or she wants employers to meet deadlines, expectations and goals. But rudeness is sternness on another level such as blatant disrespect and belittlement.

How to deal: First and foremost, be professional. Do not fight back. Instead, try to discuss the situation calmly with your employer, let them know how you feel. If the rudeness has surpassed the line of harassment, consider resigning from the internship and filing a formal complaint with your state’s Department of Labor.

When I found myself in a situation with a difficult boss, I went straight to one of my mentors for help. Her advice? Suck it up, it’s reality. Burning bridges will more than likely hurt you. You never know who your employer knows or what role they would play in your future (even if you don’t think they will).

Employers should teach you the tools of the trade, not maltreat you. To say the least, you’ll survive your internship with the valuable experience of how not to treat interns. And this hard-learned lesson will hopefully follow you when you have interns of your own.

by Shawn Simmons

While walking to the market on a brisk Monday morning, I heard a little girl singing, “Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.” I began to think about the life of a farmer, whose work is rarely lauded but who works day in and day out to cultivate vegetation and livestock to provide food to people around the world.  After this moment of deep thought, I realized that developing anything is a continuous process that requires cultivation: awareness and constant adjustments to reach the intended end result.  In any job or intern position, the key to success doesn’t only rely on your ability to perform, but other on attributes that make you stand above the crowd.

When you walk into your internship for the first time after your interview, you meet the people who you will be working with for the next 10 weeks of your life.  Being in this foreign world will make you a bit uneasy, but you will adjust quickly with guidance from other employees and/or through intuition.  If your gut tells to eat the cafeteria’s corn chowder, however, you might want to reconsider.

To gain rockstar status, you will have to go beyond “just doing your job” at your new internship.  Like the farmer, you will have to work to cultivate your brand (AKA you) to be a contributing solution for the company’s needs.  So, here are four tips to highlight your distinction:

• COMMUNICATE accurately and effectively with words, advises Jamie Johnson, well known coach and contributing author of thenewiq.com.  Effective communication with words is paramount in any team or task.  When you can effectively communicate with others, it allows any project to be less difficult and clear to understand.  It also allows ideas to flow freely, which is when brilliance is born.
• BUILD professional relationships with other interns, as well as full-time employees.  Participate in company gatherings or offer ideas that may help build the team of which you are a part.  Be seen by your peers and professional counterparts as a team player!
• CHOOSE your battles wisely.  Often enough, our courage of conviction (and emotions) takes over in situations that could have been avoided by accurate and effective communication.  If you are faced with a touchy situation or confrontation, make sure that it is one that you can win.  Otherwise, let nature run its course and things will fall into place.
• DARE to think differently.  Sometimes, it is easy to go along with the “think tank.”  However, the ideas that matter the most are usually the ones that go outside the normal pattern of thinking.  So, dare to be UNIQUE, even if you are given the “looks.”

So, go out there – walk into your new internship with confidence and know that everything will be fine.  Think of Old McDonald (please don’t sing it, people will look at you) and show everyone your inner rockstar.

Photo original link: Google Images

Shawn Simmons is a second year graduate MPA candidate at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI and Global Marketing Communication and Advertising candidate at Emerson College in Boston, MA.  His passions are public relations, social media, brand management and marketing research.  Follow Shawn on Twitter, @sasimmons15, LinkedIn shawnsimmons1 or check out his blog here.

You’ve gotten an internship, congratulations! You want the best internship experience you can get! As you begin your internship journey, there are a few things you can remember to do to make your internship memorable and valuable.

Leaders take advantage of opportunities and make the best out of a situation. Time management, listening, prioritizing, communication and honesty are all great qualities of a leader and things you will need to possess to have a great internship experience.

Take advantage. You need to take advantage of every opportunity you can in your internship. If someone explains something and you don’t understand, ask him or her to explain further. If someone offers an extra opportunity, volunteer for it. If someone invites you to dinner or another event with colleagues, go with them to get to know them better. Your internship is about learning as much as you can while you are there. Get to know your co-workers; they can help you throughout your internship and maybe in a future job search too.

While you are learning, be sure you don’t volunteer too much or else others might not get an opportunity–you may be seen as too eager, or you may overload yourself.

As you are interning, you maybe be doing other things as well. Remember not to take on too much. An internship, other jobs, classes, organizations, etc., can be a lot to take on and you need to learn time management skills.

Along with time management, you need to listen. Things will be going on around you that you need to learn. Sometimes it’s better to listen and observe than to participate and lead the group. Being a leader is about knowing when to be a follower too. We can’t all be the leader all the time; others need the opportunity to step up as well.

When you learn time management and listening skills, you are also learning how to prioritize. Some tasks will be more important to complete before others. You have to communicate with your boss/overseer about deadlines and what is expected.

Communication is key in any situation. Lines of communication must be kept open. Don’t hesitate to tell your boss you can’t handle something, you need help with something, you have an idea about something, etc. Speak up and be heard. Let your boss know what is going on with you and get to know them in the process. Be honest with them about what’s going on; they will respect you more.

A valuable internship experience is one where you learn something. Don’t sit by and just do regular office work. An internship is for real-world experience, so make sure you are getting that too.

Hard work combined with time management, listening, prioritizing, communication and honesty will make you an excellent leader in your internship and it will make you someone to follow in the future. Good luck with your internship and take advantage of this real-world experience!

Photo original link: Flickr.com

by Vanessa C. Stella

You’ve probably heard a million times to “think of the glass half-full” or “find the silver lining” or maybe even “look at the bigger picture.” As you know, this is definitely easier said than done; being an optimist takes work. But once you make the commitment to thinking better thoughts, you will see that it will greatly benefit all aspects of your life.

We all have an “inner optimist,” though for some, it may be buried deep, deep within. And that’s okay – even pessimists can be optimists (and I’m not just being optimistic about that!) No matter what level of optimism we carry with us through life, we all need to learn how to channel that positive power into something that can be translated into our everyday lives.

This is especially true as you take on your new internship. You may be a little bit nervous about taking on new tasks and working in a professional environment. That’s completely normal, but by channeling your inner optimist, you can turn those nerves into something positive so you can make the most of your internship. Channeling your inner optimist means acknowledging the negative thoughts that creep into your mind at the first sign of a challenge and, most importantly, making the effort to turn those damaging thoughts into ones that take on a more positive note.

One of the hardest parts about being an intern is feeling a bit overwhelmed and out of place among your employers and coworkers. How are interns supposed to work side-by-side with staff members who have years of experience? We’re just starting out in the working world! First and foremost, an internship is all about learning, and one of your employer’s main goals is most likely to help you learn the skills you will need when you enter the workforce full-time. If you’re getting cold feet about starting your internship and you start thinking, “I won’t be prepared to do the work that is required of me on the job,” turn it into something positive instead by thinking, “This is the perfect place to learn and improve my skill set, so a little bit of hard work now will be a huge benefit in the future.”

Optimism is one of the major keys to success and one characteristic that other people will admire and want to emulate! Carrying a positive attitude and outlook on life definitely shows – and it’s something that employers will pick up on. They will see your enthusiasm and energy and it will let them know that you are ready to take on new tasks and learn all that you can while on the job. You would be surprised at the difference a little positive thinking can make in our personalities, confidence, and overall well-being.

Here are a few tips to channel your inner optimist as you head into your new role as an intern:

• Write down your favorite inspiring and optimistic quotes on Post It notes and put them in places where you’ll notice them first thing in the morning. Making the effort to start the day off with some encouraging and positive words will put you in the right state of mind.

• Take a mental note of the tasks you have accomplished and the skills you are developing on the job….and try to build on them every day. Doing things that make you happy and noting positive results will allow you to see your progress and give you a more positive outlook on your role as an intern.

• Face you challenges head on. Instead of thinking about all of the things that could go wrong on the job, think about all of the things that will go right and how you will make sure that they happen. There’s a great quote by Winston Churchill that I just love: “The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Be sure that you’re the one that is open to finding every opportunity your internship has to offer…

• Envision a positive end result. See yourself completing tasks on time and with good results and envision your boss giving you more responsibilities. If you can see yourself doing great things, it is only a matter of time before that vision becomes a reality.

• Don’t let setbacks ruin your motivation. Instead, learn from mistakes and think about how you can and will be better prepared for next time.

Vanessa C. Stella is a senior marketing major at Philadelphia University and is currently working at her third internship as an undergraduate student. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to pursue a career in social media marketing and/or branding. Aside from spending her time studying for classes, Vanessa loves to visit new places, meet new people, and try new things. She is a world traveler, wannabe paparazzo, social media enthusiast, blogger, optimist, and an absolute lover of life. To find out more about Vanessa, visit her blog.

Photo Credit: Google Images