While interning, you may find that there will be days which are slower than others. Sometimes your supervisor may be swamped with work, or there are just simply no assignments to be given to you. The question remains, what do you do when there is nothing to do? First, there is always something to do. Whenever you find yourself in a similar situation, here are some things to do:
1. First, send a blast email out to your department asking if anyone needs help with any projects or assistance in any other way. Even if you don’t get any bites, it will still help establish a rapport amongst you and your fellow staff members.
2. Next, peruse your organization’s or company’s website and social media sites. Become familiar with navigating the website and maybe even learn something new. Become more familiar with your fellow staff members and search for them on sites such as Linkedin to find out a little more about them. Additionally, see what‘s going on socially with your organization or company. Who or what are they following on Twitter and who is following them? Begin following any relevant organizations or people who they fellow. Does your organization or company have a Pinterest? If so, what are they pinning? Additionally, look at how they interact with their followers on these sites and how frequently they post. By doing this, you will not only improve personally as an aspiring public relations professional, but you will also be able to knowledgeably make recommendations for improvements to the sites.
3. Finally, get organized. If your day revolves around a cubicle, like me, it can quickly get cramped and disorganized. Utilize the downtime to throw out irrelevant and out-of-date materials and to stock up on low supplies for your desk such as writing utensils, sticky notes and staples. If you are allowed to decorate your space, print off some pictures and make your space a little more personable.
In all, there is always something to do even when it may not seem like there is. Following the suggestions above will help you continue to assimilate into your environment and will impress your supervisor by showing them your dedication to the company and your ability to work independently.
This is some great advice Cori, I agree with all of it. I find that at my internship, every once in a while I will have a little down time (especially when my supervisor is away on a business trip and I still have to go into the office).
ReplyDeleteI usually do what you suggested or I read up on marketing related material.
- Nate