The New Job Nerves – My First Internship Story

Last summer, I got the opportunity to intern at a civil and environmental company. I was super excited because this was going to be my first “real” job and I was going to get professional experience. I was also going to get paid, which meant I was going to be able to buy my own car. Which was pretty exciting. (I ended up getting a 2008 Mercury Milan, which to me what pretty good for a first car).

I was SOOO nervous for my first day. So nervous that I spent the whole day deciding what to wear. I think I went through seven outfits before I gave up and went to the store to buy a completely new one. I also printed out directions, packed my purse multiple times, and even got a haircut. It is safe to say I didn’t sleep the night before. I stayed up and watched way too many YouTube videos.

The morning of my first day finally came. I had a 45 minute commute so naturally, I gave myself an hour and a half to get there. I ended getting there way too early. Which didn’t help with the nerves.  On a side note, I actually ended up almost being late because I couldn’t find their office in the building. They were in a temporary location so all they had was a small sign indicating what office space they were in.

I finally found the office and dressed in my most professional clothing, I walked into the office, was greeted and brought back to talk to the head boss. We went through logistics, and sometime in this ten minute or so meeting, I was told I was going on a construction site visit.

I looked at the clothes I was wearing, particularly my new flats, and didn’t know what to do. I hadn’t even considered bringing field clothes. I didn’t thing I would be doing much on my first day. The next half hour was a bit of a blur as I was given a notebook and started writing down jargon I didn’t understand and trying to grasp even the vaguest idea of what I was suppose to do. There wasn’t time for questions and I soon found myself in a car driving to a construction site with my new boss (but don’t worry they had a hard hat for me!)

That was nothing like how I thought my first day at work would go, but looking back on it, I found that it really set the tone for what I would be doing over the summer and got me excited to work there.

I’m not trying to imply that your first day of your new job will lead you out to a construction site trying to use an OVM meter for the first time in your business clothes with almost no idea what you are doing. Starting a new job is tough and sometimes a little intimidating. But the BEST thing I got out of that day was learning how to be able to adapt to new situations.

Going into your new job with an open mind and a willingness to try anything will make you stand out in your new job. As long as you can RELAX, take things as they come, and keep a positive mindset, you will rock your new job!

Until next time,

Gianna