How to make the best out of your internship

By Jade Sheldon

• Treat it like a job interview. If people are spending time training you, they see potential and its easier to hire you after your internship than to take on someone new and hire them. There is definitely a possibility of attaining a permanent position at their company.

• Dress for success: I have been to many advertising and public relations firms where the dress code is casual. You should always have a nice pair of dress pants and a professional top regardless. The reason being: you avoid slipping out of the working mindset and also, you don’t know who you will meet. Life is a networking party and you always have to be prepared.

• Always come to work five minutes early. It’s so much better to be early than on time.  You can take those five minutes to settle in instead of rushing. This will set a relaxing tone for the day and tasks will be easier to handle if you are calm.

• Get your work done early so that you can delve into other projects. Most of the time, interns do the mundane tasks that the staff don’t have time for.  If you get those tasks done early and efficiently, chances are they will get you involved in more exciting tasks that the employees normally handle.

•  Be irreplaceable - Don’t just do what you are told. Add value to their company. Think of ways they can improve and generate greater profits. Be innovative and creative find solutions to problems they never knew existed in the first place.

•  Don’t be afraid of making mistakes - you’re an intern, you aren’t expected to know how to do everything perfectly, its ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.

• Positivity produces productivity -Have fun! Treat your boss like a mentor and pick his or her brain. The knowledge you can learn from these professionals, is incredibly valuable so use your time wisely! 

  

Jade Sheldon currently studies journalism with an emphasis in PR and English writing at University of Nevada Reno. She is the president of the Journalism Student Advisory council. She owns the blog "PR in the Biggest Little City" and tweets at @JadeGaby