After years of struggling between classes, professors, deadlines and exams, finally you have your well-earned piece of paper. University has been an emotional rollercoaster, but you’re glad to be a grad, ready to join the adult world. Unless you belong to the Kardashian Klan and you are starring in a TV show on E!, this is the point in your life when you will encounter the word “internship”. But forget about making coffee, wrestling with the copy machine and other Hollywood stereotypes—an internship can provide you with countless perks: you gain experience, develop skills, learn about business, make connections and polish your professional personality. (Your resume will also scream “thank you, buddy!”)
Intern and you might make it onto your office fridge!
Stagista
1. e f. (pl. m. -i) unpaid trainee; intern (USA).
Self-confidence
In recent years your greatest skill was the ability to wake up and go to class in 20 minutes—being presentable was a plus. Now it’s time to work on your resume, promote your previous experiences and prepare cover letters. This will make you think about your career, what you have done and what is best for you. Are you the type of person who needs an exciting work environment or would you rather work alone? Would you like to work in an office or somewhere else? You don’t have to accept anything just because you have to pay the bills: try to find something you like doing It will help your self-esteem and will make you more appealing to
future employers.
Multitasking
It’s not like the movies. You will never find yourself in the middle of a crowded street carrying documents and coffee while begging someone over the phone to give you a copy of the latest Harry Potter book before its official release. This is real life, not The Devil Wears Prada. You might not be asked to bring your superiors coffee, but you might find you have a lot to do. You’ll learn to evaluate and value your time, organize your tasks, work on them day by day, and respect deadlines. Maybe sometimes you will have to go to the other side of town to deliver very important papers, but it will be an excellent opportunity to take a quick nap while on the bus—being an intern means always looking on the bright side of life.
Learn
When you are an intern, every day is a new day. Don’t be surprised if you work on a spreadsheet on Monday, proofread articles on Tuesday and prepare reports on Wednesday. It’s perfect practice and a way to know more about what is going on in the office. There may be downtime when you don’t have any assignments, or you would like to stretch one out for far longer than is needed, but never
allow boredom to take over: ask your boss if there is anything they need you to work on. The more you practice, the more you learn!
Grow
Walking into a professional environment can be intimidating, but trust me, there’s nothing worth stressing over. Adversity will only make you stronger. Everyone started in your shoes and they will be glad to help you throughout the duration of your internship. Always be friendly and feel free to ask because their experience and advice will be invaluable when trying to figure out the ins and outs of the business world.
Being an intern is just the beginning, but there is no limit to what you can do. If you stay humble and work hard, you will be surprised by what you achieve in no time at all. Now get out there and find yourself a position as stagista—you won’t regret it.
Intern at The Florentine!
“These five months have been better than I could ever have imagined.” – Rachael
The Florentine is seeking interns for its fall program. We’re looking for native English speakers with advanced Italian, solid writing skills and social media savvy.
Email redazione@theflorentine.net with your CV and two writing samples.
