You did it – you’ve made it through your first week of work. Congratulations!

By now, some things are probably beginning to feel settled. Your commute may become more routine, and you’ve snoozed the alarm clock enough to know the exact time you must get up to make it to the office on time. Co-workers’ names are easier to remember, and you may have already begun accumulating a horde of reminder post-it notes on your desk.

Work-wise, the first week is a transition period from getting acclimated to the office to actually sitting down to do your first task. Sometimes, this means standing endlessly at the photocopier, shredder, or filing cabinet until your boss trusts you to do real assignments. Other times, you may be thrown headfirst into a massive month-long project.

Either way, the first week of work is an important time for reflection. Below are some questions for consideration as you think back on work thus far.

I can think of several summers where I got an instant vibe of the weeks to come just from the first couple of days. Some of the little inclinations you get early on will actually define your whole experience. For example, in the past I’ve discovered I had a technophobic boss, that I would have limited supervision all summer, or that I might not have much to keep me busy, all from the first week. While many things will change over the course of an internship, these first impressions are probably right, and indicative of a larger pattern.

What does that mean for you? If you sense a larger issue at play, tackling it early on may be better than waiting to see if things will change. For example, if it’s Week 1 and your supervisor already doesn’t seem to know what to do with you, consider brainstorming a list of projects or tasks that you could do that would be helpful to the office. Then, when it becomes an actual issue in the second or third week, you’ll have a go-to list of project ideas to present to your boss, staving off mid-summer boredom. Or, if you find yourself swamped with work from day 1, that suggests a busy, hectic summer to come. Developing time-management strategies early on will only help you in the long run.

Considering what you’ve already learned will be extremely helpful as you plan and prepare for the rest of your internship or job experience.

During this first week, what did you learn about the culture and how to fit in? A large part of your success this summer or during your first year is determined by how well you understand how things are done and how people are expected to behave in the organization. For example, does everyone arrive on time (or a few minutes early) or anywhere from 10-15 minutes late? Do meetings begin and end on time? Are assignments expected by the due date or is a bit of slippage permitted? Do people gather at the beginning of the day to chat before beginning work or are they more likely to get right to work? Is your attire suitable and not too casual or too formal? Picking up on these types of cues will signal that you fit in and will make people feel more comfortable with you and positive about you.

Which relationships are important for you to have a successful summer? Relationships–or your network–are important for everyone’s career success and your current job is no exception. Your relationship with your boss is obviously important. But there are other important relationships as well including:

• Your peers (the other people also reporting to your boss) with whom you might share information and ideas for accomplishing your assignments,
• Other interns and new first-year employees sharing a similar newbie experience,
• Your contact in Human Resources who has a wealth of information about the organization and how to be successful in it, and
• The person who may have been assigned to you as a mentor (and is therefore willing to take the time to answer your questions).

Establishing a good relationship with the people mentioned above will require some thought and planning–and perhaps a few coffee dates and lunches. Take the time to get to know them and allow them to get to know what a great person you are. Above all, be authentic and genuine. In the end, it will be well worth the effort.

Again, congratulations on getting a job and making it through your first week, and here’s to the weeks to come!

APW & NW

Your Success is Our Success.