How to Make the Most of your Internship
Most internships will likely require you to wear many different hats around the office. One day you could be spending most of your time fretting over whether or not the shipping charges to Brazil are reasonable, and the next you’ll be reading a strange manuscript featuring a semi-robotic pirate. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and challenging, but that’s the sign of a good learning experience. Here are a few of my tried and true tricks for making sure you are as prepared as can be at your publishing internship:
1. Dress for Comfort & Professionalism: This one may seem simple and like information you could learn just as easily from your Business Marketing Major friend, but I didn’t realize how true this advice is until I had to lift big boxes of books in my roommate’s ill fitting skirt.
2. Ask Questions: You are here to learn, not be forever suspended in a state of unsureness! Asking questions allows you to get to know your fellow interns, your superiors, and your supervisors.
3. Stay Focused: If you’re anything like me, certain tasks can provide a challenge for your attention span. For me—it’s spreadsheets. Any internship at a press (and especially at a non-profit) is going to require a lot of work with Excel. My one recommendation for tasks you struggle focusing on is that you make a playlist. Listening to music while making your way through a sludge pile of data allows you to focus on your task while entertaining all the other parts of your brain not in use. It’s amazing how much longer I can work on data-heavy projects while I’m listening to music as compared to when I’m not.
4. Be Okay with Making Mistakes: It’s easy to live in a constant fear of making mistakes, but the adage, “you learn from your mistakes” exists for a reason. If you play it too safe, chances are you won’t learn as much as you could!
5. Make Goals: I know verbalizing your goals can sometimes feel like an exercise from your 7th grade life-skills class, but it’s important to be conscious of what you want to achieve in your internship. If you set goals, you’ll be more active in learning and reaching them. Chances are, you’ll be pretty proud of yourself by the end!
