saying goodbye to interning...

 

well, this week marks a big milestone for me.  i am officially not an intern anymore.  my last day was yesterday and it was weird for me.  i wasn't expecting it to be as emotional as it ended up being.  i am so very thankful for and lucky to have had this experience and wouldn't trade it for anything.  the designers took me to a goodbye lunch to thank me for my hard work.  i'm not gonna lie, i got a little misty and sniffly saying all my thank yous and goodbyes.  and remember the designer that always gave me the toughest most challenging tasks, really getting me out of my comfort zone??? well, he got the biggest thank you of all!  i really think i learned the most from him...

during this last almost year and a half (yikes!) of working for free for THE designer,  i have challenged myself both personally and professionally and learned skills that are invaluable and will really help me in the next phase of my career.  i feel very fortunate for having been able to do this and i am nervous and excited to see what the future holds.  i love that my friend john compared it to being a little bird flying from the nest for the first time, even though i am far from being little.

so, lots of old friends and folks that i have met during what i now consider my "new" life always asked how i did it... and everyone wants to know what it is like to start over from the complete bottom of the barrel as an unpaid intern after having been in corporate executive positions.   i knew what i was signing up for as i had many interns work for me over the years (and by the way, at the time, i was terrible at remembering their names) and now i was choosing to walk in their shoes.

well, i realize that i have an advantage over gals that haven't even begun their professional careers as i seem to be working backwards but i think my few tips for having a successful internship experience are true for the young ones as well as old (but surprisingly young looking for their age) folks like me....

so, here they are -  the formerly almost 40 year old intern's quick tips for a successful internship

1 - i've said it before and can't stress it enough - check your ego at the door
2 - a positive attitude goes a long way (even when you get the occasional parking ticket or two)
3 - no task is too menial to learn from (even makin' copies)
4 - don't be afraid to ask questions, because that's what smart people do
5 - be indispensable,  take lots of notes and be organized - interning is multi-tasking 101
6 - when all else fails fake it till you make it

if you'll excuse me while i go pack up my hello kitty bandaids as i won't be needing them anymore...  i'll still be updating the blog with all sorts of stuff (diys, etc.) so i would love for you to stick around...  plus, you get to follow along and see my future after interning unfold!

for those of you just tuning in and wanting to know more about me you can by going here... and if you didn't already know... i created a facebook page... check it out and "like" it! and follow me on twitter and you can even follow my boards on pinterest too!

until next time...

the formerly almost 40 year old intern