Have you just landed the internship of your dreams within a prestigious company? Congratulations ! If you’re nervous about discovering an unfamiliar environment, don’t panic! The Business Cool editorial team is here to give you some advice on how to start your professional experience in good conditions.
Internships are the ideal way to discover the world of work and find out exactly what you want to pursue next. It is also an excellent way to ensure your professional integration into the world of work and to acquire new technical skills. Despite your status as an intern, you will have challenging missions and objectives to respect. You will be even more advantaged by the fact that you will be guided and trained by a supervisor who will ensure that you improve your skills.
Demonstrate professionalism before the start of the internship
We strongly recommend that you contact your manager a few days before the start of your internship in order to find out about the time at which you must show up, the essential elements to take into account in terms of clothing or the points to prepare in advance , etc. This will prove to your supervisor that you take things very seriously and that you are ready to get fully involved. You are therefore sure to make a good first impression by knowing in advance exactly what awaits you on the big day.
Be in a logic of observation and assimilation
As a first step, it is recommended to simply understand how the company and your team work. Observe, listen, ask questions but above all avoid questioning the way the company operates, by proposing new alternatives. You will have plenty of time to suggest improvements when you have a little more perspective on the environment in which you will operate.
To better understand the workings of the company, don’t hesitate to show curiosity. Don’t forget that your internship only lasts a few months. It is therefore important to absorb as much information as possible to be efficient and operational as quickly as possible. Your team will be happy to take the time to answer your questions. It’s also an opportunity for you to spend more time with them and get to know them.
Understand the missions that await you
It is necessary to lay the foundations from the start. We recommend that you take a moment with your N+1 to ask them what responsibilities await you. The objective is to know exactly in which areas you are going to intervene and what means you are going to deploy to get there. To do this, don’t hesitate to ask a lot of questions to your internship supervisor or the members of your team. At the end of the first day, you must have a concrete vision of your role within the company. A very simple way to know if your missions are aligned with what you signed up for is to reread the job description for which you applied and try to explain each mission indicated. Once you understand your role, set goals and establish a to-do list to be sure that you are in agreement with your manager’s requirements.
Practice recurring tasks
Working as an intern sometimes involves performing tasks that are not pleasant or rewarding. In general, regular missions are not the sexiest, you will even have to repeat them throughout your internship. It is therefore necessary to master them as quickly as possible. So don’t hesitate to practice if you have free time. You might want to start thinking about how you can deal with them more quickly later. The idea is that these tasks become almost automatic so that you can focus almost exclusively on projects that require more attention.
The more you progress in your internship, the more you will be required to carry out more responsible missions. It is therefore important to put good will into everything you do. Consider the start of your internship as an integral part of the learning process.
Building connections while remaining humble
When you arrive, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to the various services. Try to make contact with your colleagues. Have the courage to go see the people who will be your main contacts throughout your internship. They will be able to provide you with details about your missions and information about the company. You never know who, within the company, will enable you to finalize a project or provide you with key information that will help you move forward on your missions. The more you are appreciated by others, the better your internship will go.
