The Intern Lifestyle
Corporate headaches and meaningful connections is how I would describe the world of being an intern. Every intern deals with the world of corporate America in various ways. Some may get imposter syndrome while others just troop along. This blog post is honestly just meant for me to speak on being an Intern at a law firm in Indy and what sort of expectations I’ve noticed coming from the perspective of someone who had minimal professional experience. Hopefully by the end of this post you can get an idea of what it is as well as some tips if you are just starting out.
Explicit Expectations
Tardiness and not showing up are something that you must not do on a consistent basis. You should be shooting to be there on time and ready to start working. This may be helpful during the last half of your internship because once your coworkers and other interns start relying on you for projects and other tasks it can get quite annoying and frustrating if you aren’t there or ready to participate in time.
Clothing can honestly depend on where you are working. At a firm I dressed up the part with my tie and loafers. But honestly as you get accustomed to the work culture, you can assess whether it's more business casual, casual, or professional. I recommend that in the first month of your internship try to dress business casual at the most just so it's a good medium between casual and professional. Some really good styling tips can be found online and that’s what I used to pick out a wardrobe that is comfortable and breathable.
Communication is critical when it comes to your internship. The foundation and even how you landed the internship revolved around your ability to communicate effectively to the recruiter, manager, etc. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that you are able to effectively communicate to your team members and supervisor on any situation that may be arising.
Implicit Expectations
Active engagement in team meeting and discussions are critical when you are an intern. Personally the need to try to succeed and truly grasp the concepts that are being taught are crucial to propel yourself professionally. Therefore, ask questions during those meetings, and if you are confused with any requirements, deadlines and more ask about it.
Building professional relationships with colleagues is an area that I wish I had done a lot more when I first started. Luckily once you’re at an internship for a very long time this naturally happens. Comradery is an element of trust in a corporate setting, and that is highly reflected in not only the quality of work delivered, but the way you interact with all of your coworkers. This can be a networking opportunity so don’t let it slip over your head!
Try to check in weekly or biweekly with your supervisor
Ask for feedback regularly from coworkers
Ask questions
It’s okay not to know something, ask someone in the vicinity about what is going on and try to get help. It’ll not only be a learning experience, but a great moment to demonstrate trust with your coworkers and their ability to do their jobs.
The corporate setting is quite adaptive, flexible, yet rigid at times. Note that some of these expectations may be explicitly communicated to you as many internships now across different disciplines have recruiters whose primary focus are to train interns. Be observant, but respectful, these are opportunities that can lead to something bigger, therefore it becomes more essential that you start to get it now sooner than later.
