Getting You Through Your First Week as "The Intern"

Although coffee is great, it might not be the only thing helping you preform your best with a new schedule.

Starting a new job can be scary. Especially being the youngest in the room, the only male or female, the only college student, or the only one who isn't super familiar with the industry. Depending on your company, there could be 100 interns or, there could just be you.

Of course, the company who hired you low-key expects you to outperform their already high expectations, so it makes sense that your nerves can be extreme leading up to the first day. Although emotions may be overwhelming, remember any internship is a wonderful opportunity. Implement and practice these things upon and during your internship to perform your absolute best.

Start the week before:

Often times, looking good helps you good. I always repeat the phrase "look good, do good" when it comes to anything minutely crucial. Do all of your laundry at least a couple of days before, and make sure what needs to be ironed, is ironed. Also, getting ahead on the wardrobe gives you a chance to leave a lasting first impression as well as a fashion statement. I usually Pinterest some outfit ideas depending on the culture of the company. Sometimes, your manager or mentor will tell you the culture is "snappy casual" or "business professional". My company this summer said "casual dress and jeans are acceptable attire". How great!!

If you are unsure as to what the culture is like, look on the company website or social media pages to see photos of the team and analyze what they are wearing. One thing to keep in mind: it never hurts to ask! Often times a company will admire your respect and curiosity for trying to match with their norm.

Also, it never hurts to drive the route you are going to take at least a day before. My mom and I went to my business the Thursday before, and made the drive during the exact time that I would be making my trip to the city on a regular workday. That way, I got to see what rush hour was like and how much bump space I need to give myself in case of traffic. Plus, we got to treat ourselves at the North Market with a coffee!

Packing your lunch?

I usually find meal prepping is best done on a Sunday afternoon. That way, the food is fresh, I have no rush, and I can take a little longer focusing on my first-day outfit of choice instead of what I will be eating in the next 5 hours. Try to find meals that can be slightly customized or altered based on the day. For example, my go-to is a Zoodles base mixed with white rice and egg. Sometimes I'll add spinach in the eggs and marinated chicken. Other days, I plan for a side of hummus and naan or a fruit salad. The Zoodles can be flavored with Trader Joe's "Soyaki" sauce (a great blend of soy and teriyaki sauce) or traditional YumYum sauce. The opportunities are endless! Plus, having a full day of post-church relaxation gives me time to go to the store and ensure I am eating what's best for me and my new schedule.

Night Before:

If you normally shower at night, do it. Don't try to change your whole lifestyle just because you have a new job. Working is just enough of a life change in itself. Pick out your outfit, and make it encapsulate your whole personality and character. For example, my first day outfit was a short sleeved, navy blue turtleneck bordered with a scalloped white outline to enhance my features. I also made sure that my bag was packed, my lunch was ready to grab and go, and of course, my coffee was ready to brew to wake me up ("delay brew" is a godsend). I set a few alarms and made sure that my sound was up. The last thing anyone would want is to be late on the first day!

My first-day-at-the-office couture pants (from Macy's)

Day of:

Try waking up an hour before you need to leave the house so that you can fully wake up before the drive. If your morning routine is short, make some coffee and hang out for a little bit!

On your drive, find a playlist that gives you energy. One that makes you excited for the morning and maybe even gets you to belt out a song before 9am. I like to shuffle through all kinds of genres, but Spotify has an amazing feature under the "made for you" selection: Discover Weekly. How great?? It curates a playlist based on songs you haven't skipped versus songs you have. Sometimes it has a couple of randos, but overall definitely worth checking out!

If you're not a breakfast eater, you can easily become one! I like to wake up a little bit before eating a full on meal, so I usually pack a breakfast with me. My go-to snackable breakfast right now is the Sargento Balanced Breaks - they even have ones for the morning! The bright and sunny packaging instantly wakes me up, but the blueberry granola and Colby Jack cheese is a perfect blend. Plus, it's a great grab-and-go snack!

Throughout the internship:

Balanced meals are not a myth! They have so many qualities that could perfectly line up with your new routine. One, although not usually talked about, is your digestive system. No one likes an uncomfy stomach while sitting at a desk or being in a meeting. By eating the right foods at the right time, your body remains happy and energized with necessary nutrients.

Also, make sure you are getting sleep! This is one of my biggest faults in my routine. Sleep is always the first thing that I am always willing to sacrifice. Sound like you?? It's okay! It's completely normal - you can always sleep when you're dead right? Try waking up on the first or second alarm buzz so that you have time to fully wake up. I'm sure it's probably proven that pushing snooze is unhealthy... (I don’t want to look it up because it might obliterate all of the self-talk I do convincing myself that pushing snooze 500+ times is okay). A slightly weirder habit of mine is to sleep with my blinds open. The natural light definitely helps this heavy sleeper!

While you're at the office, ask questions!! Companies love when they hire eager interns curious about the industry and the company. Plus, people are automatically inclined to like you more if you keep the conversation focused on them. Try it! Be invested in your time at the company and stay humbled that you have the opportunity. I found that asking to join in on opportunities like client meetings, critiques or internal meetings really shows the company how interested you are in learning and being present in the office. Always remember: it never hurts to ask!

Now - what you have all been waiting for - how coffee comes into play for the most successful day! I have figured out, with great experience, that coffee can be extremely addictive. Some of my closest friends have become addicted while supporting the coffee snob (thanks liv!). I began my internship with two cups of coffee and drank them throughout the entire day. Then, beginning of week 2 I realized that I was becoming way too dependent on the coffee to get me through the day. Plus, I wasn't drinking water! Not good! Quickly, I changed my routine to one cup a day right when I arrived, and tried to finish it by lunch.

The positive light to this caffeinated addiction is that I got to meet a lot of my coworkers as I made my coffee in the mornings and warmed it up throughout the day. Asking them about non-work things kept out relationship casual and friendly. Use this to your advantage :)

I continued drinking coffee, but also added distilled or sparkling water into the rest of my day. A routine is always trial and error, and no routine is perfect. Keep trying yours and hopefully you can find at least a small sliver of success as you enter this new path to your future.

Congratulations and good luck!

xoxo.