TCS welcomed its very first intern, and can I say she’s simply amazing! In addition to being a huge help, she’s also full of great ideas and insights! One of the great advantages is also that through her, I get to revisit what it means to successfully work with interns, especially with your first intern.
I remember being an intern in college and having so many unanswered questions at the time. While I’ve worked with interns during my corporate career and now in business, it's always refreshing to stay updated on what it really takes to do so successfully.
Here are 7 tips from my corporate experience to my entrepreneurial hustle to build powerful experiences with your interns:
Know the law!
Before you start working with an intern, you want to make sure that you’re on the right side of the law. While this may be taken care of by your organization, it's always informative to read about the legal side of internships.
Internships, especially when unpaid, are slightly different from traditional work arrangements. You can consult the Department of Labor regulations for what qualifies as an unpaid internship, and how to go about it.
2. Align your goals with that of your intern
Working with your first intern (and subsequent ones) is a great way to share your goals. It's also the perfect time to learn about their goals and what they're looking to get out of the experience.
The more you can align your goals with theirs, the more enriching it can be for both parties.
3. Make teaching your priority
Internships are first and foremost learning opportunities. Although there certainly is work involved, the priority should be to impart knowledge and experience. Whether it's about the industry, the company or the job at hand, make sure to strike a healthy balance between actual work and teaching on the job.
4. Be open to learning from your intern
One of the reasons I've always loved working with interns is the fresh perspective they bring with them. Be open to learning about different ways of working, or even pick up a few advanced social media or Excel tricks here and there!
5. Be mindful of their learning style
Different people learn differently. For interns whose experience in the professional world or in your particular industry may be limited, this is even more prevalent.
Is your intern more of a visual learner? Does s/he thrive with on-hands task? Learn about the way they learn best and try to keep them engaged.
6. Communicate clearly
One of the most common obstacles to successful internships is poor and unclear communication. After all, your intern most likely has very little, if any, exposure to your industry or line of work.
Make sure to keep the lines of communication as clear as possible:
Have an orientation at the beginning: This will help get a picture of your industry or business, clarify your goals and set the tone.
Prepare as many procedures as possible: Consider preparing and sharing procedures describing your main processes to speed up the learning process.
Write down detailed instructions: Even if you're better at giving instructions verbally, consider writing down detailed instructions for your intern. This will minimize the miscommunication risk and the frustrating back-and-forth.
7. Show, Don't Just Tell
When it comes to working with your first intern, lead by example. Whether it's through displaying integrity or demonstrating how the work is done, show, don't just tell!
Our Wear to Work feature presents workwear selections in a range of styles, sizes and prices.
Wear to Work: Colorblock Sheath Dress – Photo credit: whitehouseblackmarket.com
If you’re looking for a head-turner in your work wardrobe, this is it! This color block sheath dress from White House Black Market is an absolute stunner! It’s perfect for any day in the office, and transitions perfectly to a networking event in the evening, or even a night out.
I love the shape-making silhouette of this dress, with its slimming side black panels. It’s available in Petite and Regular sizes. The best part? It’s on sale for $59.99 at White House Black Market!
What do you think of this style? Want to have particular workwear styles featured? Email me at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
How would you like to start your day feeling energized, powerful and filled with stamina? Instead of dragging yourself out of bed, barely able to make it through the morning with your usual (massive) intake of caffeine.
I know the feeling…Although I enjoy early mornings, getting up with energy and stamina after two kids, unending laundry and loads of work was a struggle. As much as I set my alarm for 5am, got my clothes ready for the next day and promised to myself I was going to start fresh, the struggle was real. It wasn’t until I started reading about and studying the habits of influential figures I admire, that I started realizing that starting the day in power is more a matter of habit and mindset than actual disposition.
Here are three of the most effective rituals I’ve learnt to decrease the crazy factor in your mornings, increase your mindfulness, and help us all start the day in power:
Quiet Time
When my first business coach recommended I add an additional 15 minutes to my mornings dedicated to just being quiet, I had to chuckle. I barely had enough time to jump out of bed, get the kids ready and manage to look human. Never mind adding more time to my morning craziness schedule!
However, I discovered that spending 10-15 minutes in quiet contemplation does effectively change your day…for the better! Whether you choose to spend it prayng, meditating, or just doing absolutely nothing, is your choice.
Sit quietly somewhere, preferably before everyone else wakes up, and chaos starts, and spend some time with your eyes closed in perfect peace. Let your thoughts wander as they will and surrender to the moment. You’ll notice feeling refreshed, energized and even having more clarity afterwards.
Gratitude
What are you grateful for? Have you thought about actually putting down these things into words every single day?
I have to admit it was a challenge at first, when my coach advised to write down 10-15 things every day that I was grateful for. First, I didn’t think I had the time. Second, what was I going to write? Not that I didn’t have anything to be grateful for, but developing a habit that very few of us have is challenging.
Nevertheless, I started. To my surprise, not only would it make me feel happier, and ever more grateful every day. I also noticed that better things, opportunities and events would also happen. The Law of Attraction defines this as the power of thoughts becoming things. The more you think about what you’re grateful for, the more there is to be grateful for. Now that’s power to start the day…
Write down your goals
Writing down your goals is not just about recording your objectives down somewhere. Most importantly, there’s something almost magical that happens when you put your dreams and goals on paper. Not only does it convince your mind of the possibility for these to come to fruition, it also gives you that extra motivation to accomplish them.
I’ve had as a habit to write down my goals on pieces of paper and carry them around in my wallet. I’ve seen many successful people do so, and I thought it a good idea to try it. Little did I know that after some time, I would dig out the same pieces of paper and update them with this single note: “Goal accomplished”!
In conclusion:
Reserve some quiet time for reflection in the morning
Practice gratitude as you start your day
Write down your goals
What other rituals do you practice to start your day in power?
Welcome to our weekly career, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and fashion news roundup! Think of it as your online watercooler/work gossip station/coffee break spot for now…Want to add anything to our list? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
Did you get a new job? Recruiting Blogs gives you tips to read a contract agreement:
Want to snatch a promotion before the end of the year? The Muse recommends 12 baby steps you can take now;
Hey Working Moms! Ellevate Network lists 7 amazing working moms hacks;
Attending a career fair? Recruiter lists 6 things to do after;
Are you a stay-at-home? Glassdoor lists 21 jobs you can start now;
Our Wear to Work feature presents pieces of workwear for women at work at various price and style ranges.
I've been on the hunt for tailored, modern suits that don't take me back to the "Working Girl" era (no offense). Suits like this tailored number from J. Crew!
I absolutely love the easy fit of this suit in a non-traditional light blue. It's perfect for summer and even into early Fall.
The coordinating tailored trousers are also cut to perfection and extremely flattering.
Our Wear to Work feature presents pieces of workwear for women at work at various price and style ranges.
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still going on and there are still some amazing finds out there! This Eliza J cold should dress is perfect for the office and after-hours, adding just the right touch of je-ne-sais-quoi to your workwear.
This fitted sheath with darts and seaming flatters any silhouette, while the cold shoulder is a nice contemporary look. It's available in Pine and Navy at Nordstrom.
You’ve set all these goals for yourself at the beginning of the year. Before you know it, we’re way past mid-year, and in between, all those career resolutions are right there with your unused gym membership.
I know the feeling. I love making plans and setting goals for the future. The challenge, like with everyone, comes when it’s time to turn those plans into action. The more time goes by, the harder it is to get back to those goals and actually accomplish them. Or recognize when those goals have changed, re-focus and re-calibrate.
Every year somewhere towards the halfway mark, I schedule a mid-year check meeting with Me, Myself and I. It’s my own reality check as to where I’m standing in general. I have to say, it’s not always the most fun meeting to have, especially when I’ve let this goal slide, that objective get forgotten and those dreams get delayed one, two or several more years.
After a while, I got tired to starting over every New Year and rehashing the same goals without much success. Stopping at mid-year to truly evaluate where I stand allows me to have the honest conversation I need to hold with myself in order to make progress. Even if progress sometimes means stepping back in order to better move ahead…
If you’re at this point too or considering having a truthful conversation with yourself about where your career stands, here are 3 steps you can take:
(HONESTLY) REVIEW YOUR YEAR SO FAR
Now is the time to do an assessment of the first half of the year. Take a sheet of paper and write down all the goals you had at the beginning of year, or just dig out your Goal Book from the beginning of the year (if you have one).
What accomplishments are you most proud of so far in the year? What hasn’t worked so well for you? What feedback have you gotten so far? Where can you improve? Grab a cup of tea, sit in your favorite spot and honestly look at how far you’ve come.
RE-INVIGORATE YOUR GOALS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR
After conducting an honest assessment of where you stand, you can now actually put some life back into those goals. From this point on, you can dust yourself off and look forward to the last few months of the year.
What do you really intend to accomplish by the end of the year? Why does it matter so much to you to accomplish these objectives? What do you have to do to get there? It’s time to set those objectives and plans in motion!
Don’t forget to use the SMART approach to refreshing or re-creating your goals. In order to be effective and achievable, they must be:
S- Specific: Paint as clear a picture of the outcome you’re looking for. Use clear deliverables and deadlines. For instance, commit to getting two clients a week, or delivering one report a month.
M- Measurable: Unless you can measure your progress, you can’t really know how close you are to meeting your goals. Put some figures behind them, such as numbers of deliverables, website traffic or other measurable metrics.
A- Attainable: Can you realistically reach your goals, or are you being unreasonable considering your resources, time and energy? Be honest about how attainable your goals really are.
R- Results-Oriented: You need to see some results. Whether it’s revenue, promotions, raises, or website reach, your goals must show progress towards tangible results.
T- Time-bound: Someday won’t cut it. You need a deadline to get your objectives achieved by. Whether it’s next month, or next year, every goal must have a specific deadline associated to it.
SET UP AN ACTION PLAN
After putting life back into your goals and taking a definite look forward, it’s time to start decomposing these refreshed goals into action steps. It’s one thing to have brilliant objectives; it’s another to actually follow the steps to bring them into fruition.
For each goal, determine which step(s) you can take NOW (as in TODAY), and which steps you can take by the end of the year to reach your objectives.
IN CONCLUSION:
REVIEW YOUR YEAR SO FAR AND PERFORM AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF HOW FAR YOU’VE COME
REFRESH OR RECREATE YOUR GOALS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR
SET UP AN ACTION PLAN
Have you done your mid-year career check yet? What have you learnt so far?
