Four Ways to be Professional as an Intern
Posted: December 27, 2022 | Author: Clare-Estelle Perkins | Read Time: 3 minutes
Going from working in fast food and customer service to a professional office environment can be a pretty big jump. And it can be especially scary when you are thrown in blind. Here are some tips and tricks to being professional as an intern that I learned from my internship with Southern Utah University.
Why is Professionalism Important?
Professionalism is anything from how to carry yourself, to your attitude, and how you communicate with others in the office. Being professional can ensure a positive first impression, successful interpersonal business relationships, and a lasting positive reputation within your workplace.
How to be Professional as an Intern
Tip #1 - Be punctual
Punctuality is your first real impression. Punctuality and attendance are important because they uphold productivity. It is important that you be on time to ensure that your first impression is that you are an organized and dependable employee.
Tip #2 - Honor your commitments as best you can
When you make a plan or a promise, your employer expects you to follow through with it, and it is the most professional to do so. Constantly rescheduling or changing plans makes you seem more unreliable and unprofessional.
Tip #3 - Be mentally present and active
This may sound very obvious, but it is just about the easiest way to show professionalism. Being attentive, responsive, and proactive at work and in class shows that you are invested enough to really pay attention and that you care what the other person has to say. This can be anything from extensive note-taking to using responsive body language in your interactions.
A great way to show your investment and dedication to improving a situation is to always propose a solution along with the addressed issue. With this proactive approach, all complaints are paired with a solution.
Tip #4 - Get to know your workplace
Every work environment is different. Adjusting and exploring the dynamics of your work office is important to understanding how you can best contribute to the workflow. Along with keeping your schedule and workload organized, getting to know the other people working around you and how they affect your job will enable you to conduct your business most efficiently.
Get to know your coworkers as you get to know your office culture. Learn preferred means of communication with people you work with. You might even make some friends along the way. Another trick to seem more professional is to ask your employer or supervisor what attire is appropriate for your particular work setting.
Workplace etiquette will get you far no matter what your end goal may be. By honoring your work commitments, and remaining dedicated, productive and respectful of those around you, you will build a respectable reputation within your organization.
My name is Clare-Estelle Perkins, and I am an intern in the Marketing Communications office at Southern Utah University. Provided by SUU’s Career and Professional Development Center, the Professional Internship Program is a program that gives SUU students a one-semester paid internship and an online course on how to be professional as an intern. Learn more about the Professional Internship Program or apply to be an intern.
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