The Nerves, the Coffee, and That First-Day Badge
If you’ve ever stood outside an office (or stared nervously at a Zoom waiting room) before your very first internship shift, you know the mix of emotions. Your palms sweat, your brain buzzes, and somewhere between excitement and dread you ask yourself: Am I really ready for this?
Here’s the thing—7 Internship Tips From Experts aren’t just résumé checkboxes. They’re the messy, awkward, often eye-opening training grounds where you discover what work actually feels like outside the safety net of classrooms and theory. Some days, you’ll feel like a sponge soaking up knowledge. Other days, you’ll feel like you’re fumbling through tasks that everyone else seems to understand. Both experiences matter.
I’ve gathered advice that professionals wish they’d known when they were interns. These aren’t generic “work hard and network” clichés. They’re real insights—tested in boardrooms, start-ups, agencies, and yes, coffee runs.
So let’s get to it.
1. Treat It Like a Real Job (Because It Is)
You’d be surprised how many interns treat internships like a trial run where mistakes don’t count. But here’s the truth: companies invest real money, time, and staff hours into bringing interns onboard. If you vanish during work hours, miss deadlines, or treat tasks casually, it doesn’t just reflect on you—it affects a team.
That doesn’t mean you need to act like a seasoned professional on day one. What it does mean is showing respect for the opportunity. Be on time. If you’re remote, that might mean logging into Slack promptly and answering messages instead of lurking offline. If you’re in person, it might mean dressing one step above casual until you learn the office vibe.
And yes, let’s talk about attire. In the U.S., “business casual” can be a confusing dress code. Does it mean polo shirts? Blazers? Jeans? It often depends on industry. Finance firms might lean formal, while tech start-ups may treat hoodies as uniform. The rule of thumb: observe, then adapt.
Small note: You might roll your eyes at “fake” projects like formatting spreadsheets or proofreading memos. But guess what? Many full-time employees do that too. Taking even small tasks seriously sends the message: I can be trusted with bigger ones.
2. Ask Smart Questions Without Fear
One of the most common regrets interns share is not asking enough questions. They worry about bothering managers, or worse, sounding clueless. But here’s a professional secret: silence can be riskier than asking.
Imagine two interns working on a report. One struggles quietly, delivers it late, and gets half the numbers wrong. The other asks clarifying questions early, double-checks formatting preferences, and delivers on time. Who looks more competent? (Hint: it’s not the quiet one.)
That said, there’s a balance. Nobody loves being asked where the bathroom is five times in one week. Learn when to research independently—Google, internal wikis, or even asking a peer first—and when to go straight to your manager.
If you’re nervous about asking, frame it like this: “I want to make sure I’m doing this the way you prefer. Could you confirm…?” That tone signals care, not laziness.
3. Build Relationships, Not Just LinkedIn Connections
Networking gets tossed around like a buzzword, but here’s the nuance: true relationships aren’t built by spamming connection requests. They’re built in everyday interactions—grabbing coffee with a colleague, laughing over a Slack meme, or showing genuine interest in someone’s career path.
In the U.S., informal conversations often matter as much as formal ones. If your office has a Friday bagel tradition, join it. If your team chats about sports or streaming shows, jump in (authentically—don’t fake a love for baseball if you’ve never watched an inning). Those seemingly casual conversations often create the trust that leads to mentorship.
And remember, mentorship doesn’t always look like a seasoned VP taking you under their wing. Sometimes it’s the slightly older coworker who teaches you how to phrase emails so they don’t sound robotic.
Digital culture matters too. A quick Slack thank-you message or a LinkedIn shout-out can go a long way, but don’t mistake clicks for relationships.
4. Own Your Projects, Even the Small Ones
Every intern eventually faces grunt work: data entry, scheduling, sorting documents. The temptation is to treat these as throwaways. But here’s a different perspective: small projects are low-risk proving grounds where you can show initiative.
Take spreadsheets, for example. I knew an intern who was asked to update weekly reports. Instead of mindlessly copying numbers, she noticed repetitive steps and built a simple template in Excel. It saved her team hours each month. That’s not busywork—that’s impact.
Owning your project means caring about the outcome, not just the checklist. Even if your work feels minor, it fits into a bigger picture. A polished PowerPoint slide might help your manager close a deal. A well-organized file might prevent chaos later.
Of course, don’t fall into perfectionism traps. Deliver something useful on time rather than obsessing over microscopic details. Managers would rather get a good draft early than a flawless version too late.
5. Learn the Unspoken Rules
Every workplace has a surface culture and a hidden one. The surface culture is what HR explains: core values, office policies, vacation rules. The hidden culture? That’s the stuff no one writes down.
Like whether meetings actually start on time or five minutes late. Whether “Let’s circle back” means “we’ll discuss next week” or “this idea is dead.” Or whether emojis in emails are considered friendly or unprofessional.
Here’s where observation becomes your best tool. Notice how colleagues communicate. Do people say “Hi” in every Slack message or jump straight to the point? Does your manager prefer short bullet updates or long written reports?
Cultural nuances vary across industries and regions too. In some American offices, humor and sarcasm flow freely. In others, that same humor might be seen as sloppy. Pay attention, adjust gradually, and don’t be afraid to ask, “Hey, is this the way you’d like me to format updates?”
6. Seek Feedback Early (and Handle It Gracefully)
Many interns make the mistake of waiting until the end of the program to hear how they did. By then, it’s too late to course-correct.
Seek feedback early—ideally within the first few weeks. It doesn’t need to be formal. Something as simple as, “Is this report aligned with what you had in mind?” gives managers the chance to steer you in the right direction.
Yes, feedback can sting. Maybe your carefully written email comes back covered in edits. Maybe your first presentation gets a lukewarm response. That doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re learning.
The professionals you admire? They’ve all been corrected, sometimes harshly. The key is how you respond. Instead of getting defensive, try: “Thanks, that helps me improve for next time.” It’s not weakness—it’s resilience.
7. Leave a Mark They’ll Remember
When your internship ends, you don’t want to vanish like a ghost. You want people to remember you as reliable, thoughtful, and maybe even fun to work with.
Practical ways to do this:
- Send thank-you emails to the people you worked closely with.
- Share a short recap of your contributions (“During my internship, I supported the X project by Y…”).
- Connect on LinkedIn, but add a personal note so it’s not just a generic click.
One former intern I know sent handwritten notes to her team with inside jokes from the summer. Years later, colleagues still remembered her. Another intern created a short guide for the next intern in his role—a gesture that earned praise long after he left.
Leaving a mark isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about leaving the impression: this person cared, and we’d love to work with them again.
Wrapping It Up: Internships as Launchpads
Here’s the truth: no intern gets everything right. You’ll mispronounce someone’s name. You’ll send an email too fast. You’ll forget an attachment (we’ve all been there). But growth isn’t about avoiding mistakes—it’s about how you recover, adapt, and show up the next day.
Internships are like rehearsals for your career. They’re messy, sometimes stressful, occasionally boring, but also deeply valuable. Each task, each conversation, each awkward moment—it all adds to the story you’ll one day tell in job interviews, or maybe to your own interns years from now.
So treat your internship like a chapter you’re writing for your future self. Ask questions, build relationships, own your work, learn the hidden rules, seek feedback, and leave your mark.
And remember: the experts giving these tips? They were once nervous interns too, fumbling with coffee machines and calendar invites. If they figured it out, you can too.