How to be at your best for your first day of internship ?

That’s it, you’re finally done with resumes, cover letters, internship interviews and you’ve finally found the company of your dreams ready to welcome you. Your first day is fast approaching and now you are dreading starting your internship? Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal. We offer you some tips to have a good first day of internship and to feel comfortable!

Before the first day

Get informed in advance

To avoid unnecessary stress on your first day of internship, it is important to prepare yourself well in advance. Try to get lost on the website of the company where you will be doing your internship. If there is a team page, don’t hesitate to find out who your new colleagues will be. You can also find out in advance about the tasks you will be carrying out and learn more about the ones you don’t know or the software you will have to use for example.

Prepare your outfit

Of course you are wondering how to dress for your first day of internship. However, you don’t want to overdo it. Want some advice? Just dress like everyone else. If you’ve been to the company for an interview before, remember what the employees wore. And if there is a particular dress code, your internship supervisor told you about it! In addition to the dress code, you must also adopt a professional language. You want to make a good impression? Follow our advice and everything will go well!

Prepare your trip

Arriving late on your first day of internship? It is unthinkable… To avoid any misunderstanding about the time or the place of meeting, do not hesitate to contact your internship supervisor a few days before the beginning of your internship to check the time at which you should arrive at the internship site for the D-day with the exact address. Be careful because sometimes the address on Google is not updated or does not correspond to the address you have to go to. You can also use this email to ask if there are any things you need to prepare before you arrive. By following these steps, you will have a smooth arrival in your new company!

During your first day of internship

The welcome to your new company

You can’t predict how you will be welcomed on your first day. Yes, this day in your new work environment is a surprise. You will have to follow the rules given to you by the company and the way the day will go. But don’t panic, we won’t ask you to be operational from the first day. This first day will be dedicated to understand the company’s activity and your position. However, your colleagues will probably have a busy schedule for the day and will not necessarily have time to explain each mission in detail. But don’t panic, you will have some reading to do. Indeed, important documents will surely be put at your disposal and you will see, as you go along, you will be more and more at ease with your new missions.

The schedule for your first day

Take advantage of this day to observe and listen to what is going on in the company, try to understand its norms, its values and especially the atmosphere in which you will evolve. You can also take an interest and ask questions about the company’s objectives and strategy and begin to define your own.

Don’t hesitate to come with something to write down all the information that will be given to you throughout the day, because it will be new information for you and therefore more or less complicated to remember.

During this first day, you will probably have the opportunity to visit your new work environment. You will also discover the work habits of your colleagues with their breaks and meal times.

For a successful integration from the start, take your lunch break with your new colleagues if they offer it. This will allow you to have a longer conversation with them and forget about work for a while. It will also allow you to be more relaxed and get to know the team better. It is possible that other interns will join the company with you, so don’t hesitate to get to know them, even if they won’t be working in the same team as you. Know that a good integration within the team is the best way to feel good in a company!

Past the first day

Integrate quickly and be operational

That’s it, your first day is over, now you have to get into the swing of things, to get started as they say, so that you can quickly become operational and get to know all your assignments.

It is important to show, from the very first weeks, your motivation to work, your commitment to the missions you have to carry out. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, show your interest and moreover, this could prevent you from making mistakes. But don’t panic, you are still an intern and you are new in the company so you have the right to make mistakes and you don’t know everything from the beginning. You can also find out on your own thanks to the internet or by looking at the competition.

Do you want some advice? Be proactive! This may seem difficult to do, especially at the beginning when you may not know all your assignments. But from day one, if you’ve completed your assignments ahead of time, don’t just sit back and ask how you can help.

Remember that you are never a burden to the company, you are a plus and you have a lot to contribute! Try to move forward as independently as possible but remember to ask all the questions you have and to communicate! Within a company, communication is the key!

Once you are integrated in the company, you will be able to take initiatives and work independently. It will be easier for you to give your opinion and to put forward your skills while gradually taking your place in the company.

Building your schedule and work environment

If you have 5 minutes to yourself, take the opportunity to start getting organized. You can settle in at your new desk, get your bearings and start making a schedule if you already know the assignments you’ll be doing. It’s always good to get a head start! It’s best to think ahead when you’re starting a new job because it will save you the stress of the unexpected or last minute details to attend to. Also, familiarize yourself with your new work tools so that you can be efficient quickly and not waste time with usability issues.

 

These tips are simple to apply and you will see, you will start an internship serenely and you will be able to take your place in your new company little by little!

Frequently asked questions about the first day of work

How do you introduce yourself on the first day of work?

It’s true, a good introductory speech can help combat first-day stress and make a good entrance into your new company.

The day before your first day, you can think about the impression you want to make and prepare a short presentation.  You can draw inspiration from the environment you will be working in.

How to avoid stress on your first day of internship?

We advise you to arrive 30 minutes early to give yourself time to find out where the office is. Make sure you are not late for your first day, this will allow you to make a good first impression and to start your internship serenely!