Has been crazy busy. The good thing about working for a team of people when you're interning as opposed to shadowing or assisting just one person is that you're never short of tasks to plough through as people put more and more piles of work in front of you.
No. 1 piece of advice for interns. REALLY LISTEN the first day, and dont be afraid to ask again if you've forgotten things, or better yet, write them down. This includes (but is not limited to) people's names, various login passwords, working hours, the postal system, door codes, kitchen and bathroom location and how to use the printer.
This last point is particularly significant in my experience, as it seems that every employee in every office I have ever been in, hates their respective printing equipment, and will in turn hate you if you accidentally break it or mess with the settings. FYI, if the printer does break during your period of work experience you will be blamed, even if it isnt your fault. Tech issues, like road rage, does bad things to good people.
It is a myth that interns are expected to spend their days brewing, ensuring that the office tea well never runs dry. However, it is always good to ask and remember how people take their tea.
Though it is good to show your commitment to the job, you are really not expected to be the first one in and the last one to leave. If you know when you're expected to finish, you do not have to wait to be told to go home. I made this mistake in former summers and have realised that besides making me tired, it was probably annoying for my supervisors who had to regularly take the time to insist that I'd done enough and could leave for the day.
No 2. piece of advice - prioritise boring tasks. Now, it goes without saying that spreadsheets are boring, but I am told that they are necessary, and its unlikely that your boss will give you a task if they don't want it done. When I intern, I have a list of 'big project' ongoing tasks, like editing or writing copy for a manuscript (things I'll remember from the experience) and 'little jobs' which basically make everyone else's life a bit easier day to day. At times packing and unpacking boxes, or updating mailing lists can make you feel like you've lost sight of what you're actually supposed to be doing, but its worth it to let your colleagues know that you're a team player and can do creative and menial tasks with the self-same enthusiasm. Also you should never be asked to do somet
No. 1 piece of advice for interns. REALLY LISTEN the first day, and dont be afraid to ask again if you've forgotten things, or better yet, write them down. This includes (but is not limited to) people's names, various login passwords, working hours, the postal system, door codes, kitchen and bathroom location and how to use the printer.
This last point is particularly significant in my experience, as it seems that every employee in every office I have ever been in, hates their respective printing equipment, and will in turn hate you if you accidentally break it or mess with the settings. FYI, if the printer does break during your period of work experience you will be blamed, even if it isnt your fault. Tech issues, like road rage, does bad things to good people.
It is a myth that interns are expected to spend their days brewing, ensuring that the office tea well never runs dry. However, it is always good to ask and remember how people take their tea.
Though it is good to show your commitment to the job, you are really not expected to be the first one in and the last one to leave. If you know when you're expected to finish, you do not have to wait to be told to go home. I made this mistake in former summers and have realised that besides making me tired, it was probably annoying for my supervisors who had to regularly take the time to insist that I'd done enough and could leave for the day.
No 2. piece of advice - prioritise boring tasks. Now, it goes without saying that spreadsheets are boring, but I am told that they are necessary, and its unlikely that your boss will give you a task if they don't want it done. When I intern, I have a list of 'big project' ongoing tasks, like editing or writing copy for a manuscript (things I'll remember from the experience) and 'little jobs' which basically make everyone else's life a bit easier day to day. At times packing and unpacking boxes, or updating mailing lists can make you feel like you've lost sight of what you're actually supposed to be doing, but its worth it to let your colleagues know that you're a team player and can do creative and menial tasks with the self-same enthusiasm. Also you should never be asked to do somet