The summer before my senior year of college, I interned at a major publicity firm in New York City. I was ecstatic to begin — and also terrified. I’d lived my whole life and was attending college in small-town upstate New York. How was I going to learn to navigate the big city? What could I do to wow the highly impressive, impeccably dressed publicists at my internship? Here are a few pieces of advice for those of you venturing away from home and into the wide world of summer internships:
Get to know the company before you start. The company I worked for is a firm that represents popular musicians. Before I walked in on the first day, I had their artist roster memorized and had even read some of their coverage in major publications. Do as much research as you can before you start. You might be thrown into projects with little explanation, and giving yourself context will help you tackle those projects with ease.
Be professional and work hard. It sounds like a no-brainer, but there are distractions everywhere these days. When you’re at work, you need to be doing work — not browsing Facebook. Unless your job specifically involves social media, focus on the work you’re supposed to be doing, and always go the extra mile. When you finish a project, ask your supervisor if there’s anything else you can do to help. Many internships have the potential to turn into jobs, so you want to be remembered as a hard worker.
Maintain a positive attitude about everything. Internships can be frustrating at times. You might not be doing work that you expected, and that’s okay. Tackle every project with a smile on your face, and always treat your supervisors and colleagues with respect. These people can be your biggest allies when it comes time to apply for jobs. Make them remember you as the intern with the best attitude, and they’ll go to bat for you.
If you’re in an unfamiliar city, get settled first. On my first day, I was asked to “take a cab uptown and deliver these concert tickets to Def Jam Recordings.” My supervisor handed me her credit card and got back to work. I had lived in New York City for approximately 12 hours at that point and texted my dad, “How do you hail a cab?” Allow yourself to get acquainted with a new city before you start working. It will allow you to complete errands more quickly and with less stress.
The summer I spent working in New York City was the best summer of my life. If you consider this advice and set yourself up for success, I’m confident you’ll have an amazing summer internship experience, too!
Written by Nicole Milano. Nicole is a writer and yoga instructor from Rochester, N.Y., as well as a freelance writer for NextStepU. Read more from her at The Everyday Yogi and tweet her @nicolemariemil.
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