How To Compete As An Intern

By Madison White on August 26, 2016

Sometimes being an intern can mean competing with other interns. The competition may seem fierce and unfriendly, but making yourself stand out as a competent and employable intern can be as simple as making a few conscious choices about your actions.

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Here are five ways to compete as an intern:

1. Be as professional as possible.

If you’re an intern, you’re probably trying to make yourself fit as seamlessly into the workplace as possible. You want to show your bosses, coworkers, and peers that you truly belong there.

However, if you’re an intern, you probably feel quite differently than the other workers do. You probably feel a lot younger and a lot less experienced than them. This may be true, but it doesn’t have to hinder your progress.

Sometimes the best method is “fake it till you make it.” If at first you’re struggling to feel professional, try your best to look and act like your more professional counterparts. Dress in a similar way, speak in a similar way. Try your best to fit in with the office environment without losing your identity. Make it work with what skills you already have.

2. Be personal.

While this may seem like a stepping stone to getting the job of your dreams, don’t underestimate the longterm value it can have in friendships and networks. You may feel it easier to disregard other people as pawns in your game to find the best job, but this isn’t the route to take.

This doesn’t mean you have to suck up to everyone, but it does mean you should take the time to get to know the people you’re around personally rather than showing up, sitting at your desk, and leaving at the end of the day. By showing the rest of the workers that you’re invested and dedicated in the experience, you’ll be far more successful.

Make sure to find out their hobbies and interests outside of work and even consider hanging out after work hours.

3. Use your time wisely.

The common stigma of being an intern is that you will do all the work all the time. People also often assume that this means stressing yourself out and working overtime to compensate for your newness. There is an idea that this is necessary to getting ahead.

However, I don’t believe the route to competing as an intern is investing more time, but investing your time more wisely. You may be spending your time doing tedious things that could be much more efficient with just a little organization. Perhaps you waste hours browsing the computer when you could be actually making progress towards a goal.

It is important to show up to work on time, but being there when you’re required to work and not pushing yourself past normal hours is completely fine. To perform best as an intern, you’ll need to be awake and have time for yourself away from the internship. You need the time after work to recuperate and be at your peak.

4. Exercise leadership.

Another way to compete as an intern is to flex your leadership muscles. It may be assumed that since you’re the youngest, you should simply take orders from others without any questions. This may be a good tactic for some, but it definitely won’t set you apart.

To be a good leader, you should actively be trying to make progress toward a goal. This could mean asking your manager for feedback on your current work and implementing change or it could mean motivating the rest of your coworkers to really tackle a challenge.

Most assume that leadership acts must be large and only by authority figures, but leadership can be done by anyone at any time. If your bosses notice that you’re going out of your way to help further your own progress and everyone else’s, they’ll be very impressed.

5. Ask for help.

By asking for help, you may think you appear ignorant or stupid when in actuality, you just need more clarification so you can perform your task better.

If it is hard to ask for help, try asking first to people of equal or only slightly higher positions to yours. Try asking people you trust. Once you’ve garnered enough guts doing this, you can then ask your bosses and managers about bigger issues you may encounter.

However, be reasonable with your requests. Some things can be fixed just with a tiny amount of effort on your own behalf. Wait until you’ve come across an issue that’s really bothering you or that you really care about.

By taking steps to ensure you’re making an effort and showing genuine interest in what you’re doing, anybody will be able to see that you’re a great intern.

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