Do you know those first impressions are made within seven seconds?
After over a year of internship, I have seen and heard what full-time staff thinks of an intern based on the first meeting, and some could be very critical.
The best advice I would give to all is to see yourself more than an intern because that ideology would transform the way you dress, talk, and think.
I have listed some things we could take note of to create the best lasting impression on your co-workers. These are things that I’ve observed through my own experiences and the experiences of interns.
Though there will be bad examples of others that I’ve pointed out, I don’t mean to put them down but it’s for all of us, including me, to learn.
#1 Overdress > Underdress
It’s best to always find out about the company's dress code. When in doubt, always overdress because no one would fault you for taking your role at the job seriously.
I dressed in a T-shirt dress for work, and I used to think it was okay because I have seen full-time staff in their T-shirt and Bermuda shorts.
Internship at DBS, 2017
When I asked my supervising mentor to give me some feedback about my performance in general, she told me that I should dress more professionally because it reflects how I take the job seriously.
She said she knows how capable I am, and therefore, it would be good if I could show that to others through the way I dress, even if they have not worked with me before.
Since everyone we meet at work might potentially be our next hiring manager, don’t let your chance of being taken seriously be taken away just because you didn’t dress for the occasion.
#2 Be professionally authentic
Many people mistake authenticity as being crude and casual that we should speak our minds or we would be “fake”. However, that is not true.
We can be authentic professionally by observing our situations and the choice of words we use.
It is essential to learn how to communicate professionally so that you can be taken seriously. It also encourages others to be open to listening to your comments.
When we converse untactfully, especially as an intern, it can come off in the wrong way—others may get upset easily and turn defensive. For example, if you disagree on a certain idea at work, instantly blurting that it’s a bad idea would be untactful. Saying that you think it’s a bad idea and supporting it with concrete reasons or suggestions would be more tactful.
Our objective is to convey our point of view for the good of the project the team is working on. Therefore, if our colleagues get upset and do not listen, it ends up being an ineffective conversation no matter how right you feel you are.
I have seen how the choice of words of an intern friend affected the working relationships with the people around her. She’s highly passionate about her work but failed to recognise how relationships in the workplace are important too.
Learn how to speak and leave a good impression!
#3 Don’t let pride get in the way
Sometimes, interns tend to overcompensate their lack of confidence by being overly loud and seemingly “confident” so as to make a good impression. I believe have the mindset that we have to look put together and know what we are doing at all times.
I have had a co-intern who, to make his presence known during meetings, purposely spoke and gave suggestions without putting much thought into them. However, when given a task, he placed little thought into it.
Eventually, the mentor was extremely upset with what was produced and I was told to speak to the intern.
When I approached him and asked why the work was done badly, he claimed that the mentor did not give good instructions and he did not ask because he knew what he was doing.
From my observation, I could tell from his tone that he was upset about being confronted and he was unwilling to admit his mistakes.
His eagerness to seem put together caused him to continuously produce bad work till the end of his internship, causing the mentor to be displeased with him.
Do not let your pride hinder the opportunities you could have to learn and grow.
Do not let your pride hinder the opportunities you could have to learn and grow.
It’s not wrong to be eager but it’s important to do so carefully. You don’t have to be eager to prove your worth and presence. Doing so shows your pride rather than confidence.
Instead, be humble. Being humble does not mean you have to be quiet in meetings or think lowly of yourself. Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking about yourself less!
No one will find fault with an intern who is willing to learn and grow so ask questions when in doubt and admit to mistakes when they are made.
For example, what humility could look like at the workplace would be
- Putting more thoughts into the things you suggest
- Observing the situation and taking notes
- Asking questions when you are curious and want to learn more
I usually observe the situation and take notes when I am aware that I am not able to give any quality feedback and suggestions at that point of time.
Remember, the quality of the feedback is more important than how frequently your voice is heard during the meeting.
You may have learnt to “fluff” your way through things in school. However, note that when you are in the industry, your colleague knows when you know what you are saying versus when your sentences are uttered without much thought. The latter does not help you in building the first impression with them.
#4 Be eager to do more than an Intern
I have seen many interns enter a company expecting to do the bare minimum. They only do things they are given, and therefore when they are done, they keep quiet and start scrolling through their phones.
These bad habits can be picked up easily during your first day of work when there’s nothing much to do.
As an intern, why would you want to waste your time in a company doing the bare minimum?
Do more, learn more. This job could be a stepping stone for your next job.
See yourself more than an intern and it will open you up to more opportunities.
Instead of using social media or hiding in the toilet, take time out to find out more about your company. Even if what you have found out is not relevant to your job scope, all departments work hand in hand. Therefore, it means that what you have found out could be helpful in solving certain problems along the way.
For example, in my previous internship, I was thrown to sit at a desk after onboarding without any instructions. I immediately started to research the company and I even did an analysis on what is the most popular product in the company.
From the research, I learnt that the value proposition of the company was to personify pets and to give pet owners peace of mind. Hence, I was able to be engaged in my first meeting and gave suggestions landed praises from my colleagues. One of the colleagues shouted over zoom “That’s a great idea!”
Making a good first impression is an art
All in all, making a good first impression is an art to know how to carry ourselves so that we may be given more responsibilities and opportunities to learn.
Some may think it might seem pretentious but I would argue it is our motives that need to be evaluated.
My mentor has once told me, “See yourself more than an intern and it will open you up to more opportunities.”
When you change the way you look at internships, you would find that the eagerness to learn and curiosity about the industry is not faked.
Remember, first impressions are crucial but they can be changed. Aim to leave a lasting impression of your working attitude and abilities.
