I don't always take my advice from Winnie the Pooh, but I probably should more often. He gave Christopher Robin the mantra; "you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." This is a great phrase to repeat to yourself in any new or uncomfortable situation, including a new job or internship.
I remember what it was like to be a young woman starting out in the business world, unsure of my footing, what were the right questions to ask, where to sit in a group meeting, how to answer my phone. Here's the secret. None of that little stuff really matters, and if you get too worried thinking about it, you might miss the bigger picture and take away from a new experience like an internship or first job.
Mindset is such a powerful thing, and I encourage you to tap into yours. No one else will know if you repeat a certain phrase to yourself, or psych yourself up before work with your power song. Focusing on seemingly minor things like remembering to be your authentic self and a team player, can change your mindset and therefore have a big impact on your time spent interning. It can also quiet the self-doubting voices in your head asking non-important questions about if you wore the right thing, to make room for the more important questions about how to best help your company reach their target demographic, or launch a social media campaign.
When you start your internship, if you try to be someone you would want to work with, you will be someone people want to work with. Think of your favorite classmates or relatives at large family gatherings. Do they share some common traits like always looking happy to see you, asking about your life or day, catching you up on the convo if you joined the Thanksgiving table or school lunch table late? If you're happy to be at your internship, and genuinely interested in what people are doing around you, learning from them and helping them with their work, they'll feel this authenticity, which is such an awesome quality to possess.
Making mistakes along the way, as embarrassing as they may be, are also invaluable lessons. Mistakes, I've found, have also brought the group of people working together closer, because it's a group fail that will hopefully soon become a group win. Teamwork is so important and can be as small as helping cover for someone who is running late, to as big as being in the room when a project you've worked on for months is finally presented.
Be your authentic self. Be a team player. Be Winnie the Pooh.
"You're braver than you believe,
and stronger than you seem,
and smarter than you think."
―
A.A. Milne
So get out there and knock em' dead. Remember that the people you report to were also once in your shoes, and would love the chance to help show you the way and learn from you and your different point of view as well. I am all about the power of collaboration and learning from each other. Wisdom is not just pushed down from the top but should be shared all around. I learn something new everyday from my digital natives...from snapchat to Facebook live to the latest emoji trends. Tweet your best internship tips, questions, or anecdotes to me or my team @TheGirlsLounge. We love hearing from you!
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