Having gone through multiple — multiple — successful interview rounds, you would have thought that the hardest part is over. After all, you are about to start your internship. You are sooo close to the finish line!! Here you are, getting ready for your first ever internship experience— abroad!

Psst..!! Before you go.. Get in on some things (your intern supervisors think) you should know that will help you get through your internship with flying colors.

Keep Your Emotions In Check

Internships are a big deal. Naturally, you are more likely to experience strong emotions at some point during the course of your internships. Joy, fear, and tears are just a part of the ride. What counts is how you react to things when they don’t go your way. This tiny little detail is what your supervisors, colleagues, and coworkers will remember you for. Their perception of you could take a full 180 degree turn, for better or worse.

You can choose to respond to favorable and unfavorable situations in one of two ways. When things are working in your favor, you could allow yourself to get carried away by the compliments and be on your high horse; or you can keep improving! Similarly, when you are met with negativity, you could choose to allow them to consume your headspace for days and proceed to produce mediocre work. Or you can choose to face them by acknowledging that this is a one-time occurrence, revisit your mistakes, and try your best not to repeat them.

They Are New To This Too!

You see.. when companies decide to hire or take interns in, they really have to think it through i.e. What are the costs and benefits of having you, interns, joining their teams? Who will take on the supervisor role? What would be the scope of the internship? What kind of work would be appropriate, purposeful, and fulfilling? And so on and so forth.

What does this say about those who are chosen to be your supervisors? They could be experienced mentors. In which case, what are you waiting for, celebrate! Trust that they know what they are doing. Or they could be fresh to the role! They may have had very little to none experience mentoring their subordinates or anybody at all for that matter. This could be challenging for your supervisors too. Fear them not.. because, in retrospect, you and them are not that different; you will not be the only one who will have your performance assessed! The bottom line is that you should not shy away from being who you really are. Be confident. Be courageous. Be inquisitive.

Source: Berkeley Communuications on Unsplash‍

Know That Everyone Is Rooting For You

Three words: you’re an intern. You are there to learn, to get things right and wrong. Forget what you see on prime time television shows. The chances of you being caught in office drama is slim. Everyone else has already climbed up the corporate ladder. They have graduated from your position! There is absolutely no need for you to give yourself a hard time; trying to perfect everything because chances are they like you. You read that right..! They are grateful to have you as a helping hand, of course, they are going to support you. They like to see you succeed in what you do! So don’t shy away from asking questions and giving suggestions — they love your input!!

See This Internship Experience As A Stepping Stone

Though it is good to have an end goal in mind and know what you want from this experience (say, you want to turn this internship into a full-time job), they should not be the only determining factor for why you should or should not try your best! Take this opportunity as a step forward and as a learning experience for you!!

You will get a chance to learn how to interact with people from different backgrounds; study their social cues (– along with a plethora of other new practical skills that you can find in your workplace). Last but not least, learn to celebrate every success along the way!

Your Time Has Come

Your time as an intern will allow you to explore your options; it will test you in so many ways. But it will also mould you into a stronger version of yourself; and provide you many valuable lessons on how to survive and thrive in the office environment.

Now that you get a gist of what your intern supervisors would like for you to know (and do), go make them (and, more importantly, yourself) proud! Prove to everyone that you are up for any challenge. Get a head start on your future careers and aspirations with a bang!

For more information on AIP’s educational and purposeful international internship opportunities, please visit: https://internsinasia.com/

‍