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The 10 Commandments of Interning

I. Don’t come into your internship hung over. Ever.

II. Listen and take notes. Ask lots of questions, and when you are asked to do something, listen and then paraphrase the request back to the person who initiated it to make sure you are on the same page. Keep her updated on your progress and cover your butt with a paper/email trail. Ask lots of questions and keep good records.

III. Use your “indoor voice,” especially when on the phone and never, ever put your phone on “speaker” when you are in a cubicle setting.

IV. Spend the day working and asking for work to do, not on the phone with your friends. Your cell phone should be on silent, and friends and family members notified to not call you at work unless it is an emergency.

V. The biggest complaint I hear is about "know-it-all" type college interns. Don’t come into your internship offering up ideas to reinvent the wheel. You are an intern, not a consultant. It is taken as obnoxious. If you’re asked for feedback, give your ideas then. Ask your intern supervisor about when it is appropriate and know your role before going into staff meetings.

VI. Meet regularly with your intern supervisor to plot out your time and make the most of the experience. It doesn’t help the company if you’re bored, and it doesn’t help you to pass the time or give you the learning experience you came in for if you’re sitting around doing nothing.

VII. Request time “shadowing” other employees and ask them about their careers so you can get some insight into how the company works and evaluation of your own goals. Ask for help with drafting a good resume. Write thank you notes to these people following these informational meetings. You are building a network and getting career advice.

VIII. Accept intern assignments with grace, and expect a lot of busy work-- faxing and excel chart work. You're here to help the company, and this helps move the work flow process.

IX. Keep emails brief. If they get longer than a few sentences, pick up a phone. Don’t use smiley faces in your emails.

X. Be polite, dress appropriately and have fun.