Interning can be pretty intimidating but also a great opportunity if you do it right! Here’s five things I’ve learnt as an intern at eski.

• It’s ok to ask for help – When joining a new team there are always going to little things you need to learn, even if it’s just to make sure that you are formatting a document to the company’s brand! No one starts out an expert, so don’t feel silly having to ask questions! You’ll naturally pick these things up in time.

• The importance of routine – coming straight from university it was a slight culture shock adapting to 9-5 days. The first few weeks were challenging, especially adapting my out-of-work life into those few precious hours once I got home. Naturally I found little ways that would make my day to day easier, and soon got into a routine that meant I could still have time to meet up with friends, go to the gym and enjoy a bit of down time! If you make sure to balance your work life, you should still be able to do all the other things you love!

• It’s good to be outgoing – As internships are usually for a set amount of time, it’s important to make the most of your time. Endeavour to make a good impression to make as many contacts as possible. Even if it’s a bit awkward at first, but relax! Get to know the people you’ll be working with and your personality will shine through. Remember even though there’s work to be done, no one wants to be sat in silence all day, make sure to get to know the people you’ll be spending most of your time with and get involved wherever you can.

• How to find out what you’re good at – As an intern, it’s likely you will be doing a whole manner of things, so make sure to use every minute to learn and grow. Interning is a great opportunity to learn lots about the industry, as well as which roles you enjoy and those not so much. Keep a note of all the tasks and duties you’ve done, and highlight those that you’ve really enjoyed and/or excelled at. Being sure of your strengths will help in the future applying for jobs and finding your dream career, as you’ll already have an idea of which path you want to take!

• Marketing for social good is awesome – working for eskimosoup, it’s great to know that the work I do every day contributes to helping huge issues. It sounds cheesy but knowing that you work you’ve done could be helping other people is a great feeling, and makes the job so much more enjoyable. If you can find a career doing something you love, well that’s the dream. Once you’ve found the industry for you, take all the opportunities you can for after your internship ends and run with it!

Megan O’Keeffe