Do's and Don'Ts of an Intern

An intern is someone who works in a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment, making it similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students seeking skills for a new career. Student internships provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their field, determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, and gain school credit.

Here are some Dos and Don’ts to be observed during your internship:

The Do's:
Do dress to impress. Don't look at how the other interns there are dressed; you are not trying to impress them. You are trying to impress the actual professionals. Look at the way the professionals are dressed and mimic that exactly, even if you are not required to dress up. It shows that you are looking to work with them as their equal, not as their gofer.

Do arrive on time every day. This is basically a first impression every single morning. You don't want to start the morning off looking bad by arriving late. Remember that you haven't landed a job yet and if you get "fired" from an internship because you are always showing up late, this will look very bad on you and you won't be able to use that company as a reference or potentially as a job. Just come to work every day on time, even if you have to wake up three hours before you have to be there.

Do speak in a professional manner. Don't speak to these professionals as you would speak to your friends. You shouldn't be using slang or slurring your words. Speak grammatically correct and sound professional. Your employer does not want to hear you say something like "no lar, ah (yes)." That looks so bad. Do keep busy. If you don't know what you should be doing, ask someone if they need help with anything. Find something to do. Standing around and doing nothing doesn't look very good. It looks like you are lazy and don't know how to get the job done. Keep in mind that you're