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21 Mar, 2017

How to Impress your Boss During your Internship

Nowadays, internship programs are highly sought after and extremely competitive, as they are often the first step to employment. Once you are lucky enough to land an internship position, you will want to make sure you have a successful one. One of the most important factors to make-or-break your internship experience is The Boss. If you manage to impress your boss, your internship program will end happily with a job offer or, at the very least, a glowing recommendation. Based on our experience, here are several things you can do to impress your boss.

Be Prepared

Before your internship program starts, do deeper research about the industry and company. Even though you are there to learn, it will impress your boss if you already have initial knowledge about the industry and company.

Find out more about the company’s history and values. Learn further about the latest news in the industry. The information will be readily available to you with just a simple internet research.

Dress for Success

Ever heard the saying "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have"? You might think that it is just a cliché, but in our experience, it does work. According to research, first impression is formed just in the first four seconds of meeting someone. By being well dressed, you will leave a great impression on your boss.

Our advice is to ask your hiring manager about what the office environment is like – and dress appropriately. It is better to be a bit overdressed rather than being too casual. Also, avoid any clothes that are too revealing.

Take Initiative

During your internship program, always be willing to go beyond your job description. If you see something that you can do to help, volunteer yourself to your boss. You will impress your boss with your eagerness to help.

At the core, your job is to make your boss’s life easier and produce results. Try to understand your boss better so you could anticipate what he or she would need. Then, deliver it before your boss asks. But, be mindful of your own responsibilities. Make sure that you have finished your own job before taking on another.

Ask Questions

Your boss will expect you to ask many questions as an intern. This is to make sure you understand your task clearly. If you are not clear about the instruction, you might make stupid mistakes that could be easily avoided.

Write down any questions you might have. Read through them before asking. By doing this, you will be able to ask your questions clearly and coherently. Also, you can be sure that you are not asking the same questions again and again.

Be Confident, but Humble

This might sound like two contradictory things, but think of them as two sides of the same coin. If you do not believe that you can get the job done, no one else will. However, once you start bragging about your achievements or knowledge, people will lose their respect of you.

During your internship program, you must be prepared to do boring but necessary tasks. You are there to learn from others, and sometimes learning starts with the simplest of task. Nonetheless, speak your mind if you feel like you are being treated unfairly or taken advantage off.

To have a successful internship program, impressing your boss is one of the most important things to do. This does not mean that you have to “butter-up” your boss. This just means that you need to make sure that your hard work is noticed. If you are able to leave a good impression with your boss, you are definitely set up for a successful internship program.