The Art of Succeeding
As my time at Visit Philly comes to an end, the one word I would like to use to describe my experience is detail-oriented. The moment that I step into Visit Philly’s office I know what to expect. Every employee pays attention to every little thing you do or say, as well as what you don’t do or don’t say. Preparation is a must. Questions are a part of the routine. Attentiveness is rewarding. Most importantly, honesty is key. All four of these factors make up my detail-oriented experience.
When I first started at Visit Philly, I knew that my time management skills weren’t perfect, but I did not think they were terrible. I was wrong. My experience has taught me what it takes not only to have good time management skills, but it has taught me what it takes to have great time management skills. Google Calendar, lists, and planners are the three most important tools to help you in your journey to success. These three tools are the key to preparing for not only a day at an internship, but for life. Remembering to write everything down all the time can be hard, but when you have apps and books available at your fingertips, there is no real excuse to be unprepared.
Once you are prepared to take on any challenge the day has to offer, you are able to bring your thoughts together. But sometimes no amount of preparation can prevent you from having some questions and that is more than okay. Everyday is a learning experience, and a part of the experience is to have questions. Often times having questions ready for your supervisors to answer makes you stand out. It shows that you are really thinking things through. Something that I have always been praised for during my internship is my ability to analyze and question things, because it shows that I truly care about whatever is being discussed.
In order to have questions ready, you must pay attention. Attentiveness is probably one of the most important attributes to having a successful internship. If you don’t think your colleagues notice that you are not paying attention, think twice. It is natural to daze off when a topic is uninteresting or you just honestly have no idea what is happening during a meeting. Even though it can be difficult, you must push through those moments or hours. Practice makes perfect. Whenever you are in a dilemma like this, try to snap out of it by making gestures to show that you are paying attention. A simple head nod and sitting up straight are always indicators that you are aware of what is happening around you.
Lastly, honesty is the most important key to fulfill a detail-oriented experience as an intern. When you are not honest with yourself about something, it reflects on your work. If you believe that you are not able to accomplish a task no matter how hard you try or have already tried, it is acceptable as long as you are honest. Personally, my supervisors always loved when I was honest with them because they did whatever they could to make sure I could get my tasks done effectively.
When mixing preparation, questions, attentiveness, and honesty together you get the perfect formula to making the most out of an internship that requires you to be detail-oriented all the time. I now know what it takes to be a great intern. Four months ago I was a bit timid, but extremely eager to learn and grow. Today, I am ready to take on any challenge that comes across my career path, as well as being able to exceed all expectations.
