Taking Initiative

Taking Initiative

As Student Programs Coordinator at Hillsdale’s Kirby Center in Washington, D.C., I am a student’s best resource for information on interning in D.C. through the Washington-Hillsdale Internship and Summer in D.C programs. (Shameless plug: Please contact me about spending a semester in D.C.! You won’t regret it.)

Even better, it’s a job I love. Every day, I work with bright students and watch them succeed academically and mature professionally. I’m especially impressed by students who come to me with specific questions and objectives in mind. For example, I love receiving emails that read: “Ms. Carr, I was looking over the WHIP application, and noticed that the deadline is March 20th. However, I would like to turn the application in and complete my interview early before the semester gets too busy. Would that be possible?”

From the get-go, these students show me that they are invested in their internship search and that they will take initiative in the workplace. Taking initiative is the most important quality necessary to succeed. If you are wondering why it’s so important, or how to do it, read on!

 Why Should I Take Initiative?

  1. It’s a sign of respect. You’re busy, we get it. But your future boss is really, really busy. And nobody likes being spammed with superfluous email. If you can find an answer online, in a brochure, or by asking a friend or fellow intern – do it! You just took one more thing off your boss’s “To Do” list.
  2. It makes you stand out. Interns are a dime a dozen, especially here in D.C. Excellent interns who follow directions and take tasks to completion are a rare breed and an invaluable part of any office. Your intern coordinator wants to trust you and probably has a lot that he or she needs help with. But first you need to prove yourself on the little things.
  3. You’ll be remembered. Internship coordinators and hiring managers interact with a lot of interns, but they remember the outstanding ones. Many Hillsdale students land jobs over a year after their internships ended because of the great impression they made on the staff.

What Does It Look Like?

  1. Do your research. Most intern coordinators will tell you there is such a thing as a dumb question. We live in the Information Age, where the answers to many questions can be found through a quick Google search. Take advantage of this. Interested in interning for Paul Ryan during your WHIP semester? Google “Paul Ryan” and “internships,” and find out all you can about the application process. You’ll be sure to impress.
  2. Ask for clarification. Directions aren’t always clear and your boss is not infallible. If you are confused, ask a specific follow-up question and refer to the instruction or information that was unclear. Your feedback will help the supervisor clarify and streamline future communications.
  3. Take care of the details. In every office, there are small daily tasks that need to get done. (Think making the coffee, distributing the mail, and culling daily press clippings.) Take on these tasks with a smile and a can-do attitude — and soon you will be trusted with more.

Interested in participating in WHIP or Summer in D.C.? Check out our Facebook page or website for more information. Or, if you have done your research, email Ms. Carr at [email protected] with follow-up questions.