*This post was written by me in collaboration with JORD Watches. I received an item from JORD’s watch collection for this post, however all thoughts and opinions are my own!*
Summer is almost here, ya’ll. I can almost taste the freedom of no school! You know what that means…if summer is almost here, so is internship season. Although this will be my first summer as a college graduate and without an internship (I’m starting a big girl job instead, eeep!), the excitement of starting a new job never fades. I don’t know about you, but I’m the kind of person that loves to prepare everything super early in advance, even down to what I bring to work on my first day. Here are three things that I believe are absolutely essential to starting off your internship on the right foot!
1. Notebook & Pen
I can’t stress the importance of this lil’ thing enough! Internships are one huge learning opportunity, and in the case you’re given a nugget of wisdom or a fleeting comment on one of your projects, you’re going to want to write it down. Sure, you could use your phone, but 1. I didn’t want to perpetuate the idea of being a young person “addicted to my phone” even if I used it for work, and 2. There’s something about the “ceremony” of writing something down in a notebook that helps me remember better. I used my notebook to prepare questions for all of my meetings, definitions of jargon that I needed to keep up with, and even to sketch a couple of design ideas. I didn’t go anywhere without my notebook during my internships. It was my entire life!
2. A Watch
IMO, watches are the epitome of professionalism. Growing up I always admired the simple and clean designs of the watches my mom wore to work, and I knew that the minute I started working some sort of big girl job I wanted a watch like that too. Plus, I’m all about functionality, and watches serve a great function – they let you know what time it is! I can’t tell you how much I loved my watch when I was bouncing from meeting to meeting this summer. When it’s rude to check your phone constantly, your watch acts as a backbone for making sure you stay on schedule.
My brand-spankin’-new Sier Arcadia JORD watch does just that for me, and it’s also got that simple and clean look I’m always looking for. JORD prides themselves on developing unique timepieces. I love the black marquina marble featured on the face of this watch – the rose gold matches really well with all of my jewelry, and the fact that it comes with both a metal and leather band makes it perfect to wear with any outfit.
If you love this watch as much as I do, I’ve partnered with JORD to giveaway a $100 gift card to use towards one of your own! Everyone who enters will receive a discount code.
3. A Learning Mindset
You might think this is cheesy, but hear me out. For any internship, it’s essential to bring your curiosity and an open mind with you to every one-on-one and team meeting. Not only will this help your managers/co-workers see how interested in the work you are, it will also help you do better work! Internships are designed for you to learn as much as possible about the work you could be doing once you graduate, and to succeed it’s not enough to just do what you’re told. Asking questions and bringing a learning mindset with you to work will help you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, and that is key to piecing it all together.
Final Thoughts
A lot of people think that you need tons of things to be prepared for your internship: extensive knowledge in your field, tools, etc.. I’m here to tell you that’s simply not true! You’re not supposed to know everything going in. If you knew it all, what do you need the internship for? These three things will take you where you need to go during your internship, and help you put your best foot forward so that you can learn as much as humanly possible.
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway with JORD! What are your internship essentials?
