Most second-year students are officially starting their internships this coming week. A trying time for the best of us, as it means getting up early, maybe commuting to and from the place of work everyday and having to be your best professional self in this new environment. It might even be considered the start of your working career and the pressure to do well is pretty scary. For this week’s blogpost, we’ve rounded up some tips and tricks that might help you tackle your busy work life head on!
Ugh… getting up in the morning is, for most of us, the hardest thing to do. Leaving that cozy and warm space to be somewhere, especially something work-related, is really challenging. So sometimes when you stay in bed longer than is necessary, running late might become a possibility. However you could already do a lot the night before, 10 minutes before you go to bed, to help yourself in the early mornings.
1) If you take a lunch with you, prepare it in the evening and put it in the fridge, only to be put in your bag the next day.
2) You can think of what you’re going to wear the evening before and also already put it out so that when waking up you only have to put it on, instead of wasting those precious minutes finding matching shirt and socks.
3) Packing your bag with all your essential the night before is also a smart idea, as only the last few bits have to be thrown in before leaving the house and you are sure not to forget anything important if you’re still a little sleepy in the mornings.
Next, you might find your social life is in a dip, as you spend most time at a full-time job now and that takes a lot of energy out of your day. So weekdays are jam-packed with responsibilities, which means that your time on weekends should be used wisely.
4) To make sure you see your favorite people, be that friends or family, on the weekend, plan with them during the week when and where you will meet during the weekend. As you don’t have a lot of free time at any other moment, it would be a shame to miss out on your social life during the weekend too, if everyone already has plans.
5) If you want or have to you can make an actual schedule for what needs to be done, so that your weekend time is used the most efficiently. But also make sure to have time to rest up and prepare for another intense working week.
Lastly you might be feeling the pressure a little on what to wear and what is appropriate if you have an office job. In our day and age, business casual is almost always appropriate in every kind of setting. But this concept is very vague: what is too casual? Or am I too formal? Do I need a suit and tie at all times or is just a jacket fine?
7) Unfortunately there is no direct answer to these questions and it very much depends on your work situation. As a young person however, especially as an intern, it is usually acceptable to wear black or dark jeans and a nice shirt or blouse.
8) It can be very tricky if your workplace has specific rules in place for dress codes, but it’s wise to dress a little more formally on your first day (also to make a good impression). Then, as time wears on, you can look around and notice what others are doing to see if what you feel most comfortable in is acceptable.
Hopefully these few suggestions have made you a little more secure going into this new step in life, as it might seem a little daunting. A saving a few minutes extra for sleeping or making sure you aren’t embarrassed by your styling choice that day, can make a huge difference in your overall work performance and enjoyment.
So good luck to all of you starting your internships this week, and if you aren’t at this stage yet keep these tips in the back of your mind for next year!