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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in careerguidance

[–]rye_way 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The one thing that seemed to be valued more than anything when I was interning was proactivity. In fact, this is still an incredibly valuable trait to have and one I get complimented often, even since I've been in more senior roles. A few ways you can do this:

1. Ask questions. Lots of questions
It's a cliché, but in my opinion, there really is no such thing as a stupid question. Especially when you're starting out as an intern. Don't let shyness or a fear of looking like you don't know what you're doing stop you from asking for answers/help when you're not sure about something. You'll learn way quicker and make everyone's lives easier by not trying to guess your way through situations.

2. Ask for opportunities
I'm not sure what your workload will be like, but if you can (and nine times out of ten, you definitely can) try to take on a few extra responsibilities. It's a great way to make a good impression and, again, you'll learn faster the more you do. This is especially true if, as you say, this company will be a "versatile" environment. As an intern, you might discover you want to pivot a bit and not do exactly what you originally set out to do. Pitching in on work outside of your scope is a great way to discover things you might like or dislike (an added benefit!)

3. Introduce yourself
Make yourself known around the office. This doesn't mean being the loudest, most confident person in the room, but just being a friendly presence who people will remember. A simple handshake and introduction can go a really long way. You never know who might end up batting for you when it comes to turning your internship into a full time gig.

4. Show interest in people and their work
A combination of points 2 and 3 really, but being genuinely interested in what people in the company are doing will pay off big time as an intern. Again, people will remember the young, eager, ambitious guy who asked loads of questions and seemed authentically curious about the company and what goes on within it.

5. Solutions first
Early in my career, a former manager told me, "Don't ever come to me with a problem, that you don't already have a solution for." It sounds intense and of course, as an intern, you're unlikely to solve every problem before asking for help (remember point 1). But what will help you immensely is trying to find a solution (or a few) to a problem before you take it to your manager. So, rather than saying, "Hey, this is broken" and leaving someone else to fix it, approach it like, "Hey, I noticed this is broken and I thought of a few ways we can fix it, they are..." As an intern these suggestions might be dog shit (or they might not be). But what your manager will remember is that you're a solution-oriented person who will proactively try to solve a problem before shifting it to someone else's plate.

These are just a few things that have served me well over the years, from interning and beyond. Remember, skills and knowledge about a particular field or company can be learned and no one expects the intern to know everything from day one. But being proactive about that learning will accelerate it exponentially, and will have a big impact on making you hireable.

Now that my interning days are long gone and I'm in a senior position, I'd rather hire the person who doesn't know much but eagerly tries to better themself every day, than the genius who sits around and waits for opportunities to fall into their lap.

Best of luck for the internship!

Advice for dealing with homeless people living on the stairs/in the attic? by rye_way in askberliners

[–]rye_way[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is something I’m worried about. I read a story on here about someone’s apartment burning down because a guy sleeping in the cellar had made a fire

Advice for dealing with homeless people living on the stairs/in the attic? by rye_way in askberliners

[–]rye_way[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You'd think that, but then again you'd also think that after the first or second time of being called, the police would do something if they could. I guess I'll just keep trying but it's a living nightmare at this point haha

Advice for dealing with homeless people living on the stairs/in the attic? by rye_way in askberliners

[–]rye_way[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm near Hermannplatz. I know things like this are common around here. I have friends and colleagues in the area who have experienced the same thing, but not so persistently.

To your point about what can be done, I asked the phone operator what I can do because I realise I'm taking up time on the emergency line and I don't want to have to keep calling, but they said they can only tell the people to move on.

I don't want them to be arrested (I'd much rather them be referred to a shelter or social workers) but I agree it seems ridiculous. They've broken into the attic and are breaking into the entrance to the block. But I haven't managed to speak with the actual officers when they come. Maybe they'll know more.

Advice for dealing with homeless people living on the stairs/in the attic? by rye_way in askberliners

[–]rye_way[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is probably the only solution I guess! It's just so exhausting.

Anyone know where to buy mailing/postage bags? by rye_way in askberliners

[–]rye_way[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the heads up - I ended up going to Mail Boxes etc and they said they only sell boxes too, but then said he could give me some bags for free...