Finally, you’re a college student or graduate that has found the opportunity to become an intern. However, as you’re anticipating the first days on the job, you may feel a little bit intimidated. This was true for me here at Barton- I was very anxious in my first week or so. I didn’t know what to expect, or how much I should speak, or what exact tasks they would want me to do. It was important for me to learn and understand how to navigate the workplace as an intern, and in this blog, I’ll give you some tips on how you can do the same!
Absorb Everything You Can
The first day on the job is always the hardest. You walk in, get introduced to everyone, learn the basics of the company and its goals, and then get trained for the tasks that you’ll need to accomplish. This was all a blur for me, as it felt like it happened so fast. It’s not easy, but the best thing you can do in those situations is to take it all in. Listening to everyone and absorbing all possible information will help you adapt more quickly and get more comfortable. Barton is my first internship, and for me, it wasn’t a company I knew too well when I first heard about it. However, I was lucky enough to have the right people around to show me what this company is all about, and how critical it is within the healthcare industry. Being able to absorb that information has helped me start on the right foot and understand what I have to accomplish for this business.
Ask Questions
The next important step for smooth navigation is to ask questions. When you first start out as an intern at a company, you’re not going to know everything. It’s important that you ask questions to multiple people about stuff that you would like to know, or about stuff that is unclear to you. This will show your fellow employees how engaged you are with them, and that you’re ready to adapt and learn. Showing that initiative will help you become more noticeable, and it will continue to help grow your knowledge about the company. For me, this step was more difficult as I am naturally more introverted. Yet I was still able to ask questions, nod, and use my body language as a tool to help show that I am ready for this and want to adapt to anything I can for them.
Do What Is Asked and More
When it comes to the tasks you have to do, it’s important to accomplish them with a great attitude. As an intern, you may not get the most pleasant or interesting jobs to do, but nonetheless, they still have to get done. It’s important for us interns to do what is asked of us and then some. We want to show that we’re able to do these tasks and handle anything that is thrown at us. I’ve tackled numerous jobs that were sometimes monotonous, but I’d still be ready to do them again if they needed me to. It’s critical to establish a strong work ethic and stay in a positive mindset. As an intern you may start small, but continuing to showcase a strong work ethic will help build off of what you have, and may give you that bigger opportunity in the future.
Want to navigate Barton’s workplace? Now you can! We have openings in all of our nationwide locations for interns, and even full-time roles. Apply to one today at https://www.bartonassociates.com/careers/!
