Optimizing internship performance

For many students, internship is another kind of learning, perhaps the kind of learning that is closer to work in real life. However, students must realize that internship is really more about work and less about learning! In real life, work performance counts. You are not hired so that you can learn. First and foremost, you are hired because you are expected to perform serious work. Thinking about internship this way will help you to enter another level of learning that is closer to work in real life. Put it another way, in order for you to learn in an internship you must first be able to perform at a certain level. The following are some guidelines to help you to optimize internship involvement so that there is a good balance between learning and performing.

Basics

These are the very basic social requirements in any company, or even perhaps in any social situation except your home or the university dormitory. If you cannot meet these rules, the value of your internship is of suspect.

• Appropriateness of appearance
  
  • Present yourself appropriately for different occasions. At work, a more conservative dress code and make-up code is preferred.
• Personal neatness and cleanliness
  
  • Make sure you wash up and are properly groomed before going to work. Cleanliness can be a problem for some male students. Learn from female students!
• Punctuality
  
  • Be at meetings about 10 minutes early.
• Courtesy
  
  • Know when to greet, to say thank you, to speak, and when to keep quiet.
• Proper conduct with the opposite sex
  
  • Treat colleagues of the opposite sex with the greatest respect. Do not flirt, harass, or over-display your charm at work.
• Honesty
  
  • Tell the truth the best you know it. But be modest and cautious of what you say at the same time.
• Legal responsibility
  
  • Respect all legal code at work. You can be sued for damage, theft, and privacy violation at work just as anywhere else.

Intermediate

If you can do the following in addition to the basics, congratulate yourself, you have not wasted internship time and you can be certain that you will benefit a lot from it.

• Cooperation in team work
  
  • State your position firmly and clearly. Listen to others and learn to respect opinions of others. Learn to compromise.
• Willingness to learn
  
  • Be open to ways of thinking and doing things other than those you are familiar with. Very often, it is not a matter of right and wrong.
• Enthusiasm, vigor, and vitality
  
  • Develop positive energy for whatever you are doing. Work is a part of your life. Enjoy!
• Ability to follow-through (completes assigned and/or assumed tasks)
  
  • Think of every assignment or project as a work of art. You are the artist, and you have to make it complete in order to show your greatness. Remember: your work stands and speaks for you better than you can.
• Adaptability, flexibility
  
  • Be prepared to do work that you are not prepared for, and do work that you may not like. Keep in mind that by doing so, you are learning something new and it may be the best way to help you to discover your new potentials!

Advanced

If you can also exhibit the following characteristics in an internship, you are an exceptional student and worker. Congratulations! Your future is without bounds.

• Emotional maturity/stability
  
  • Note that your biggest enemy is your negative emotions. They can destroy whatever hard work you have achieved and your good reputation in minutes and seconds when unpleasant encounters flare up. Therefore, be patient and empathetic. Be emotionally aware of yourself and others. Be emotionally resilient.
• Initiative
  
  • Treat every responsibility and everything that you do at work as your own. Carry out your duties big or small without having to be reminded, or prompted, or ordered by someone else. Go beyond your duties.
• Integrity
  
  • Maintain consistency between what you say and what you do. If you cannot do something, it is better for you not to say that you can. False promises and high sounding words will be measured against you by your actions. If this happens, you lose trust. If trust in a working relationship goes, everything else will follow.
  • Draw a clear boundary between self-interest and the interest of your company, customers, or clients. Being able to do so will gain confidence of those whom you work for and those who work for you.