When you arrive to the office
Upon starting your internship, you should formally request an office orientation from your supervisor. This is a great opportunity for you to learn the layout of the office, meet your new colleagues and get a feel for your new environment.
You should ask key questions about the company to get you off on the right foot. These are:
- What are usual opening hours for the business?
- Is there a dress code or any requirements for personal protective equipment? If not, what is appropriate for me to wear?
- Are there any other team members or supervisors whose contact information I might need during my internship?
Some details may have changed slightly from the internship agreement, so checking with your direct supervisor will allow you to stay on top of any and all changes.
Show interest in the Business
Once you have confirmed some of the more basic details of your internship, you should start to show a keen interest in the business and how you are going to fit into their operational model. You might choose to ask questions like these:
- I’ve read about your company online, but can you tell me a little bit more about…?
- What is the organisational structure here?
- What should I expect from my first week within my internship?
- Is there anything that I can study or learn to make sure I can provide the best value to the team?
- What are the current company goals? What are you focusing on at the moment?
Orientation Tour Guide
You might not have completed an internship before and, in some cases, your host company might never have hosted an intern before! Requesting a formal orientation into the internship and the office will show your host company that you are taking the internship very seriously.
To help them along, here is a checklist you can use to ensure they give you a thorough orientation:
Important locations to know
- Your workstation / desk
- Bathroom facilities
- Emergency exits, fire alarms and evacuation points in the case of an emergency
- First aid kits or the First Aid Officer if you get injured or are unwell
- Kitchen or break room facilities (where you can have your lunch!)
Important information
- Any safety regulations and requirements
- Key personnel within the business
- Communication methods with other employees (email, phone, workplace IM software like Slack or Monday)
- Break times and lunch schedules (some workplaces have staggered lunch times for employees, others don’t mind when you take
If you have any questions...
The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.
You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:
Phone: 03 8899 7424
Email: hello@outcome.life
Or fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.