What to Bring on the First Day

In almost all of my daily conversations I find it necessary to include as many movie quotes as possible. I believe that they can explain myself better than I can or, and this only works occasionally, my audience doesn't recognize the quote and they begin to realize how hilarious, intelligent or philosophical I really am. Or sometimes they serve no purpose, but I say them anyway. Whenever it is the first day of school or work, I always reference the classic film, Billy Madison, as the main character accurately sums up my thoughts:

Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight... 

While I'm not truly concerned about getting in a fight or convincing my dad that I'm not a fool (that ship sailed a long time ago), I do understand Billy's sentiment about preparing oneself mentally and physically for the first day. Yes, I realize that this is a completely ridiculous analysis of a quote from an Adam Sandler comedy, but I provided full warning above that I still quote movies when they serve no purpose. As I mentioned in my post First Day Nerves, I get nervous before the first day of school or work. I have found that preparing myself in advance helps limit my anxiety. 

Although my internship does not start until June 6th, I have already begun organizing what I need for that day. My first day of work outfit is put to the side to ensure that it will be clean for next Monday. While New York City in the summer is painfully hot sometimes, companies usually compensate by setting the air conditioning at Arctic temperatures. In order to avoid frostbite, I keep two to three basic cardigans at my desk at all times. This is probably not surprising at all, but I am quite anal about the pens that I use, so I set a few aside to bring to work. Instead of relying on post-it notes and scrap pieces of paper, I bring my own planner to keep assignments and dates organized; I bought one in the style that I like (one week takes up two consecutive pages), which will make it easier for me to keep track of my tasks. Some people rely just on online calendars and they also work great. I would suggest making one trip to CVS or the grocery store to stock up on desk essentials: portioned snacks, individual packets of Crystal Light or Propel to add to water, eye drops, hand sanitizer, tampons and hand lotion. I also brought one photo to personalize my desk a little bit. Those items may come in hand at any point during an internship. 

In list form:

First day of work outfit

Cardigans (or blazers) 

Pens (this is probably unnecessary unless if you're like me!)

Organizer or planner

Random desk essentials (snacks/toiletries/etc.)

Even with the amount of preparation that I put into my first day of work, it is possible that my essentials vary from others' lists. Also, many companies will provide items from the list above, such as a planner, snacks, toiletries and even pens. It also is easy to ask co-workers for any basics, like a pump of their lotion or packet of sugar until it is possible to restock. 

How far in advance do you prepare for the first day of something? Is there anything that you would add to my list?

Rebecca

Interning After a Semester Abroad

As some of you know, I am currently packing up my souvenirs, clothing and memories from a semester abroad in Prague before I return to the United States tomorrow. While I could describe the contents of my bags, which include a beer mug from a soccer game in Berlin or VIP wristbands from Wednesday nights at Mecca, I would argue that some of the most important things I am bringing home are the new insights into myself and my own abilities. There is a wide range of experiences on any given student's study abroad semester: incredible weekend trips, thought-provoking museums, fun nightlife and classmates from all over the world, just to name a few. I will always have the memories when I think about my unbelievable semester; many of these experiences were new to me and taught me valuable lessons in unexpected ways. As I begin the process of returning home to the United States, moving back to New York City and starting my internship, I wanted to look at how I have grown over the past semester and how it will help me become a better intern/employee. 


One of the hardest aspects of studying abroad for me was pushing myself to explore my home base of Prague. The exhaustion after cramming an entire city into a weekend trip, attending classes, keeping up with errands and maintaining my own sanity by being with friends resulted in a relatively set routine during the school week. Many weeks I only spent Monday through Thursday in Prague and I used those four days as a time for rest and relaxation. At some point during the semester, however, I realized that there was still so much to explore in the city that was left unmentioned in my city tour and guide book. I had to be proactive and fight the urge to be content with missing out on new experiences. I want to push myself once again and apply this mentality at my internship this summer. The marketing department where I intern works closely with the sales and art departments, but I am unfamiliar with these two areas. If it is possible, I want to learn more about how the departments work together and get a little experience in each one. In order for that to be realized, I need to be proactive and ask if that can happen. Just like I had to rely on my own motivation to get out and explore Prague, I will have to do the same at work.


In all honesty, there are times when I can be very stubborn. It is extremely hard for me to admit that I am wrong and ask someone for help. For example, instead of asking for better directions in Krakow when we were lost, my group and I continued to walk in the wrong direction for approximately thirty minutes until someone stepped into a convenience store for a clarification. I know that I have reiterated how important it is to ask for help and seek advice from your bosses, but they serve as reminders for how important this ability is in an intern. However, I definitely did not ask for help as much as I could have last summer; I executed some assignments through trial and error under the directions of my boss. This semester there were times that I learned that not asking for directions was occasionally more beneficial to my personal growth. It might have taken a little longer to walk home to my hostel in Paris when I began the journey in the opposite direction, but I relied on previous experience (knowing that the Seine had to be on our right), external cues (we had to pass the Louvre at some point) and basic instinct ("I think we go this way...") to make it back to our hostel safely and somewhat efficiently. Even though it might not have been the most direct route, we still arrived at our final destination. As a second year intern, I will be expected to perform bigger and more unfamiliar tasks. It will be important to balance asking questions and relying on my own abilities in order to complete my assignments. I still believe in "when in doubt, ask," but don't be afraid to try out some of your new skills.


Have you had any experiences that left you with unexpected applications? 


Rebecca

The ABCs of Attending a Meeting

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in this post - it's the last week of the semester here in Prague and I'm slammed with papers, presentations and finals. Here's a post that I hope you enjoy!


Prior to my internship last summer, my only real employment experience, besides the occasional babysitting, was working as a camp counselor at a local day camp. The days were long, hot and stressful as I chased kindergardeners on the playground and rescued fifth graders from potential white water rafting disasters (but that's a story for another time). After two summers I called it quits; I wanted a job that would give me practical experience for post-graduation life. The transition from summer camp to cubicle life was way harder than I could have anticipated. There were deadlines, e-mails to clients and long meetings. While my internship challenged me in many ways, team meetings were initially far out of my comfort zone. 


Every week the marketing team met to regroup, discuss every member's current projects, suggest potential promotions or materials, and just maintain a current dialogue between everyone involved. I walked into my first meeting rather unprepared; I thought my role as an intern would be a passive observer, but my bosses expected that I contribute, too. The first meeting was intimidating - I had trouble translating the terminology fast enough and I didn't think it was my place to stop the entire meeting to fill me in. After the meeting, I walked with my boss back to our cubicles and explained how lost I felt for the past hour. Her response? "Well, why didn't you pause us to help clarify some of the issues that went over your head? You need to be just as in-the-loop as everyone else, even as an intern." I never thought that it would be acceptable for me to put the focus on myself in the meeting when everyone is always rushed for time and slammed with work. It took me a few more meetings to realize that the more informed I could be in the meetings, the more independent I could be with my work. One or two minutes in a meeting would actually save my bosses time later in the week when the information had to be applied in a project. It took practice, but over the course of the summer I spoke up more often and even offered up my ideas in our weekly meetings. I truly think that it was a huge factor in the efficacy of my work and it was an easy way to establish myself as an 'active intern' (i.e., not one that passes by on doing the bare minimum of work). 


Here are my ABCs of attending a meeting as an intern:
A: Ask questions! It is so important to be active in meetings, especially when you are exposed to a larger group of your bosses that don't deal with you on a daily basis and this is their main exposure to your level of participation. One minor caveat - if you think that the question will be difficult to explain in a reasonable amount of time, make a note of it and ask your supervisor when you have some one-on-one time. 


B: Bring a pen/iPad/laptop/etc. The first thing I noticed that everyone was carrying into the meeting was a notepad and pen. I sprinted back to my desk to grab one to fit in and it was a great decision. It made me feel a lot more professional and my notes were helpful to refer to later in the week. My bosses also tended to assign me projects during these meetings, so it was a great tool to be organized and not forget anything.


C: Contribute. It can be as simple as your progress on an assignment or, and this took me about two weeks to feel comfortable doing, offer your opinion. There were a few times when potential projects were relevant to my age group or interests and I felt confident in expressing my support or offering minor changes to the pitch. This can be hard to gauge, so I worked up by contributing a little bit more each week. 


Trust me, I could add D, E, F and G, but I'll keep it simple with what I feel are the three most helpful tips. 


How do you contribute in meetings? Do you ask questions, offer your opinions, or prefer to stay quiet?


Rebecca

First Day Nerves

I don't know about you, but when I get nervous about an upcoming event I start focusing on all of the potential catastrophes that could occur. If "What if I get to the first day of college and somehow everyone already knows everyone else? I'll never make any friends and I'll have to transfer after the first semester!" went through your head the summer before entering college, then you can relate. At this time last year I was done with finals and had a few weeks at home before moving to New York City for my internship. As usual, boredom quickly ensued and I began to visualize my life as intern, a life filled with malfunctioning copy machines, bosses like Professor Umbridge and daily coffee runs. The worst question that repeated itself in my head was, "What if I'm not cut out for this job?" I dreaded the day that I would have to take the elevator to the nineteenth floor and begin the three months of doom.


Needless to say, all of these concerns were only in my head. I knew after spending time in the office during my interviews that my bosses were fantastic, they did not want me to waste time on coffee runs when I was there to produce actual work and the copy machines, in fact, did work (most of the time). It took a few reassuring emails from my family and friends to realize the most important thing: there was a competitive pool of applicants and - guess what? - the company chose me to be the intern for the summer. After spending time looking at my cover letter, resume, multiple email exchanges, phone interviews and an in-person interview, they decided that I would be the best fit for their internship. My mantra had to change from "I can't do this" to "I know that I am right for this position and I can do it." It was weird to accept that a group of people I didn't know believed in my abilities, particularly those that I didn't know I had yet. 


This doesn't mean I walked into the office on my first day and:
A) Began to order my bosses around because of my newly found confidence 
or
B) Didn't feel a little nervous, despite my new mantra


I definitely was still nervous, yet there was always a little part of me that reminded myself that I could do it. It might not be groundbreaking advice to say the following, but they still serve as daily reminders for me as a returning intern.
1. It's okay to be nervous! It helped me to research the company a lot prior to my first day to feel more comfortable with the lingo. Also, as nerdy as it might sound, I did in fact repeat the mantra to myself the entire subway ride to work.
2. Look toward your co-workers for support. I was so lucky to have a friendly and helpful group of co-workers in my office. They were happy to help me in any way they could, from assisting me in my embarrassingly bad attempts with working the copier to giving me advice on presentation decks. 
3. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I initially thought that I would be thrown into assignments without any direction and be expected to run the magazine singlehandedly. For the first few times that I was a little confused about an assignment, I felt stupid asking my boss for more detailed instructions. The more times that I had to ask, the less I felt stupid; she actually appreciated that I wanted clarifications. 
4. If necessary, fake confidence.  There always are the days when confidence just isn't going to happen. In those cases, it is best to fake it. Whether it is pretending to know where the Mail Room is when you go to drop off a package or slow your steps so you can watch the person in front of you work that complicated coffee machine, confidence is key in navigating the corporate world. 


Do you have any advice for first day nerves? What do you tell yourself on the first day of something new?


Rebecca

Welcome to NYC Intern!

Hello everyone and welcome to NYC intern!


My name is Rebecca and I am a rising senior (!!) at a college in Upstate New York. This summer I will be a second year intern at a magazine in New York City assisting in their marketing department. After an amazing experience last summer I couldn't wait to get back to my internship and the city! 


At this time last year I was constantly filling my older sister's inbox with questions and concerns about my upcoming internship. I was lucky because she works at the same company that publishes the magazine where my internship would be. However, most interns don't have the luxury of a family member or friend who works on the same floor and can give them the inside scoop. It was frustrating to see that past interns' blogs either revolved around complaining about their work or were a little too preachy ("Life Lessons from My Internship!") for my taste. I wanted someone to express the realities of an internship - yes, I read all the advice on how to succeed as an intern, but it was also important for me to know what other interns felt about Gmail over the lunch hour, how to ask for more assignments without annoying a supervisor and if it was okay to ask to leave a little early to make the train to the Hamptons. 


While I might not be an expert on all internships, I want to make my experiences available to the people that were in my shoes last year. Some of the topics I address or answers I give might not be applicable to all interns, so I want to turn to friends and other interns to provide a wider range of perspectives. For now, this is my life as a NYC intern and I hope you enjoy it!


Thanks for dropping by and be sure to check in regularly for updates!
Rebecca