Your company’s interns may not be very experienced or business-savvy, but I think even the most seasoned, experienced employees can learn a thing or two from how an intern thinks and acts.
Here’s a list of things you can do today to start acting like an intern:
- Stop asking how little you can do to avoid getting fired, and start asking how much you can do, as though you are working to get the job you already have. Runners who are trying to win the race compete very differently than those who are just trying not to lose.
- Make listening and observing others a habit, rather than thinking you already know all there is to know about your business.
- Don’t think any task is beneath you. If you don’t show care and attention to detail in the little things, you only prove that you are beneath the task.
- Treat every day like an opportunity to add new skills and experiences to your resume. Don’t turn down a request just because it involves you doing something you’re not totally comfortable or familiar with.
- Make a good impression. You may think that the people you work with now will be the same ones you’ll always work with, rather than someone who could someday move on and be the key to a new opportunity.
And, most important of all:
6. Act as though you’re being judged on your future potential, not your past accomplishments.
No matter where we are in our careers, we still all have room to grow and improve. Take a good look at your office’s intern this week for a reminder of what that looks like, and share below with any other observations you’d like to add to my list.
As a speaker and author, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people with his life-changing messages and award-winning programs. Curtis is an expert at transforming organizations by inspiring individuals to live their lives at performance level.
Want to be inspired? Check out his podcast The Next 24 Hours.
