WayUp teamed up with six Unilever interns who wrote about what it’s like to work for a company that makes products used by 2.5 billion people around the world. Today’s post is from Harleen Singh, a student at York University and former Customer and Channel Development intern.
As a member of the Unilever family, you get to embark on an amazing journey. But as a former intern myself, I understand what it’s like to feel nervous about rocking your internship.
Don’t worry! Here are four tips that’ll help you kick-start your journey.
Get to know as many people as you can (other Unilever interns included).
As an intern, you’ll be working with people from various functions. Take advantage of this opportunity by setting up meetings and coffee chats with anyone you want to learn from. You can also ask your manager about shadowing someone. Doing this will familiarize yourself with others, as well as help you recognize where your interests are. Maybe you’ll even learn about new roles you didn’t know existed!
Organization = a major key to success.
With many things happening simultaneously, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important. To overcome this, figure out what organizational techniques work for you and prioritize. Some techniques include writing a to-do list in your notebook or in an app like OneNote and tracking your progress. You may find it useful to block dedicated “work time” in your calendar, too. Whatever your method, organize the night before so you’re ready to tackle your list in the morning.
Show your passion for adding value.
Aside from completing your tasks, people here appreciate it when you take initiative and go above and beyond the scope of your role. One way to do this it to identify tasks that can be done in a more efficient/effective way (like automating a process). As an intern, you get to bring a new perspective to your team. So when you have ideas, don’t be afraid to share them.
Get involved!
During your internship, you’re bound to be invited to work events. For instance, this summer, we went to SoulCycle as a team. Whenever these invites arise, accept them! You’ll meet and connect with your colleagues while having fun. Besides social outings, there are always alternative ways to get involved. Maybe there’s a committee that you really want to join, or a fundraising event. Whatever it is, sign up and be enthusiastic.
Hopefully you find these tips useful. Through this experience, you’ll learn a lot about yourself and see if Unilever is the company for you! Now go conquer your internship. Good luck!
Check out Unilever job listings and apply here! And click here to read what other Unilever interns had to say about their internships.
