Succeed in business by being an intern
As the new year becomes my of a distant blur in our rear-view mirror and hints of spring arrive, so to do emails and LinkedIn requests from college seniors. As the reality of days on campus are ending sets in, so to does the fear of finding a job to pay off their debt.
I am fortunate to receive 20 to 30 requests each year asking for advice, a connection, or internship opportunities. While the prospective employees change each year, my advice has remained pretty constant. It was only this year that I realized that the same advice I give is applicable to employees of all ages, all experiences, and all titles. It is something that I will not write down for posterity sake, but also to serve as a reminder that our jobs and careers are only as interesting and as engaging as we make them. To make them this way, my advice is to “always be an intern.”
- Meet as many people as you can
It is a simple fact that the more people you know and connect with, the more opportunities will be available to you. For an intern, these early connections have potential to unlock professional growth. It is a a well researched fact that people have a finite number of personal connections its called Dunbar’s Number. It simply states that a person can maintain only a maximum of 150 relationships of varying degrees of closeness. The best way to break Dunbar’s number is to borrow from someone elses.
2. Be curious. Seek answers and don’t hesitate to ask questions
If you don’t know something, find the shortest path to the answer. If the answer is inside the head of someone in the room as you, ask them. If the answer requires some desk research, take the time to just that. Building up a habit of curiosity will lead you to new areas of interest, passions, and maybe even careers. While the maxim states that “Curiosity killed the cat,” the reference was later adapted to be completed with “but satisfaction brought it back.” (I like it better this way).
3. Take advantage of the resources around you
Companies big an small make resources available to employees. These may be in the form of subscriptions, tools, software, or events. While these things don’t often end up in the list of company benefits, they are often very underutilized opportunities to learn. A couple of examples, if you are a Public Relations professional who never used Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, your company likes has a license take the introduction classes. The same is true for subscriptions and knowledge resources. If your company is small and doesn’t have a wealth of subscriptions, then ask managers and peers how they get their information. I can guarantee that you will get ahead and stay ahead if you find an underutilized resource in your company an maximize its potential.
4. Find time to reflect
Days will be busy with emails, calls, and meetings. Your nights may get swallowed up with after hours presentation writing or finishing a project. Always find time to reflect on if your work, what it is providing you, and if you are growing. Being attuned to your growth as a person and as a professional will serve you well. It is important that you feel like you are growing. If you don’t feel it, then I might be time to make a change. I struggle with this daily. There are days and weeks where I feel like I am growing and contributing to the next generation and when I feel lost and stuck. The moments of reflection allow we to assess the bigger picture in terms of months and years (not hours and days).
When I give this advice, it comes out different every time, but the themes are all there. Be curious, meet people, and make sure you are learning. This is great advice for a budding intern and ironically has revealed the the best advice for those that are established in their careers “act like an intern.”