What to expect on the first day of your internship

Interning is a rite of passage for almost every student, but that familiarity doesn’t mean that applying for and getting your first internship isn’t both incredibly exciting and utterly terrifying. With one company’s approval you’ve suddenly been thrust into the so-called “real world” to try and gain a little bit of experience in your industry of choice. It’s going to be confusing, and chances are you’ll make some mistakes along the way. But these tips will guide you on the first day of your career – and help ease the worst of those pesky jitters.

You’ll be slow, and that’s OK

You might be a pro at sorting through Tinder profiles, or have managed to map out your nightly TV routine for maximum viewing efficiency, but strap yourselves in: your first day at an internship is going to be one hot mess of being slower than everybody else around you – and that’s totally OK. You’re there to learn — or to learn and get credit for a mandatory course — and nobody is expecting you to know everything before you’ve even walked in the door. Even the highest achieving student is going to be exposed to new situations and skills that throw them for a loop. Take your time and work out the problem as professionally as you can. It’s better to achieve one task a day flawlessly rather than have five half-arsed attempts at five different tasks.

Your new office isn’t as scary as you think

Let’s face it: from the outside, all office blocks look like the Black Gate of Mordor with grey-suited, blank-faced strangers robotically shuffling through a revolving door. On your first day, walking up to reception may just leave you feeling like Frodo forcing himself to let go of the ring, but trust me — it gets a lot better. After the first day you’ll get a feel for the atmosphere and faces of the office, and your cubicle will begin to feel more like an anchor than a four-walled sea of uncertainty. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, I recommend exploring the office in your break — you might just find a sweet lunch spot or the breakroom where the cool kids hang out.

Your boss isn’t expecting the next Albert Einstein

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you’re at your internship to learn. That means that nobody around you is expecting you to be a fully functioning member of the team on your first day. Don’t be so harsh on yourself for getting something simple wrong or for brain-vomiting a stream of stupid questions. Your boss is expecting a nervous undergrad student, not the next Albert Einstein ready to launch the company to a level of success it has never known before. Of course, if you are the next Albert Einstein don’t hold yourself back either. You go, Glen Coco.

Don’t be afraid to ask your fellow interns for help

If you’re lucky, your office will have more than one intern at a time – usually including a senior intern – and this kindly provides you with a bottomless pit of knowledge in the package of a fellow sympathetic student. Really stuck on a problem but too embarrassed to approach someone who actually works there? Don’t be afraid to draw on the experience of your fellow interns. There’s a good chance they know exactly where you’re coming from and have experienced the exact same problem.  They might even have devised their own nifty tricks that they’re willing to gift to you. Never underestimate the power of mutual anxiety to bring future friends together.

Shannon Coward

Shannon Coward is a third year Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Queensland. She enjoys period dramas, doughnuts and a good nap.