July 27, 2022
When I worked at a restaurant there was never any down time. My boss always said, “If there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean.”
But most internships aren’t like restaurants. If you’re finished with your tasks, you can’t just start cleaning your cubicle or the break room or your home and count it as a part of your internship. Well, you could, but don’t.
Then what SHOULD you do when you don’t have anything to do?
The first thing you should do is something you can do at the beginning of your internship. Be aware that you could have down time and ask your supervisor what they expect of you when you have free time.
Essentially, be proactive.
Being proactive is creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than reacting to it after it has happened.
Now you’re thinking “Uh-oh, I was not proactive and didn’t ask my supervisor at the beginning of my internship. Now here I sit, bored. My supervisor is gone. I still have no idea what to do.”
That’s okay! Practicing proactivity can start at any time.
Being proactive means noticing your surroundings and doing something to change them for the better. Here is a little how-to guide to help get your proactive juices going:
- Observe. If you are working on a project and don’t know what to do, take a step back. Look at the project from all angles and see if you are missing something. Do the same with your smaller projects or assigned tasks.
- Ask. Ask another supervisor for something to do if yours is out of commission. If there are no other supervisors, check in with co-workers or reach out to other interns. See what they are working on. Ask for ideas on how to stay productive. Ask them if they need help.
- Act. Hopefully, the first two steps offered meaningful ways to contribute to a project. But, if you are still stuck, there are other ways you can make substantial contributions. Think of things that you could do to improve the work environment:
- Send a thank you to someone who has helped you or trained you at your internship so far
- Learn about the background and history of your company
- Create a plan for a company, department, or group activity
- Plan a lunch to get to know your co-workers better
- Plan a birthday party or a baby shower for a co-worker or supervisor
- Create a calendar with everyone’s birthdays and share it so everyone can celebrate birthdays together
There are many things interns can do to improve the company culture, even if you won’t be a part of it for long!
- Plan. Plan, plan, plan! Remember, if you are not planning, you are planning to fail. Being proactive means constantly looking forward to the future. Put yourself mentally into future situations, how will you be more proactive in the future? Roleplay how to ask your boss for more work or for more clarification of your tasks. Ask yourself, how will you combat boredom at work in other places? Set long term goals to be a proactive employee at future jobs.
Learning how to become proactive can benefit you and the company you work for in multiple ways. Besides adding value to your company, you will be seen as someone who can work to achieve the company’s goals. Your work will make an impact long after you leave.
It will also benefit you personally. A proactive person is better at solving problems, can think critically, and overall has a better idea of their life’s direction.
So next time you are stuck twiddling your thumbs, make sure to go through this list so you are never left bored at your internship again. Make every moment helpful to yourself and to your future career.