3 ms·

Tips for Starting an Internship

2 points by michael_fine 13y ago

In a few days I'm beginning my first internship, as well as foray into the profesional world. I'm a rising high school junior with two years of programming experience, and the company I'm interning at is a 15 person web product company. Do you have any tips or advice for performing well, as well as getting to most from this internship?

zachlatta 13y ago
I started out in a similar situation as you. High schooler working profesionally and all. I cannot stress enough the importance of acting professional. Do not, under any circumstances, act any different from the other employees because of your age. You are working a job. Act like it. You'll have a ton of fun working with other professionals and you'll learn more than you've learned in all of high school. You'll have to meet deadlines that matter and you'll have to make decisions based on given factors. Is this an unpaid internship, where you'll be assigned a mentor and you'll get more out of it than the company? Or are you doing actual work, but not getting paid for it? If you're doing actual work for the company, they are legally obliged to pay you. Make sure you read into your state's laws to make sure you won't get into any trouble by doing work you're not supposed to. My biggest advice to you is to go in with an open mind. You'll learn much more that way. If you want to chat more about it, send me an email at zchlatta (at) gmail.com.
- argonaut 13y ago
  Make sure you read into your state's laws to make sure you won't get into any trouble by doing work you're not supposed to. The wording here is fairly misleading. I want to make it very clear that the existence of an unpaid internship does not get the intern in trouble (with the government). It's the employer who would get in trouble (with the government). In that sense there is no such thing as getting "into any trouble by doing work you're not supposed to."
  - zachlatta 13y ago
    Thanks for the correction! Unfortunately I'm past the editing threshold, so I can't make the change in the OP. You are absolutely right when you say that it's the employer's responsibility to comply with the law.
legacy2013 13y ago
Don't be afraid to ask questions or to make mistakes. You're there to learn, and the company should know that.

2 points by michael_fine 13y ago

zachlatta 13y ago

I started out in a similar situation as you. High schooler working profesionally and all. I cannot stress enough the importance of acting professional. Do not, under any circumstances, act any different from the other employees because of your age. You are working a job. Act like it. You'll have a ton of fun working with other professionals and you'll learn more than you've learned in all of high school. You'll have to meet deadlines that matter and you'll have to make decisions based on given factors. Is this an unpaid internship, where you'll be assigned a mentor and you'll get more out of it than the company? Or are you doing actual work, but not getting paid for it? If you're doing actual work for the company, they are legally obliged to pay you. Make sure you read into your state's laws to make sure you won't get into any trouble by doing work you're not supposed to. My biggest advice to you is to go in with an open mind. You'll learn much more that way. If you want to chat more about it, send me an email at zchlatta (at) gmail.com.

argonaut 13y ago
Make sure you read into your state's laws to make sure you won't get into any trouble by doing work you're not supposed to. The wording here is fairly misleading. I want to make it very clear that the existence of an unpaid internship does not get the intern in trouble (with the government). It's the employer who would get in trouble (with the government). In that sense there is no such thing as getting "into any trouble by doing work you're not supposed to."
- zachlatta 13y ago
  Thanks for the correction! Unfortunately I'm past the editing threshold, so I can't make the change in the OP. You are absolutely right when you say that it's the employer's responsibility to comply with the law.

legacy2013 13y ago

Don't be afraid to ask questions or to make mistakes. You're there to learn, and the company should know that.