Tag: acclimation

San Francisco Summer Internship Guide

Congratulations on landing a summer internship in San Francisco! SF is one of the most eclectic and beautiful cities in the US; offering everything from national parks, to niche art communities, and a bustling downtown. Historically, San Francisco has been home to risk-takers and independent thinkers, from the frontiersman of the 1800’s to the counter culture movement of the 1960’s and the tech visionaries of today, who are re-imagining the way we interact with the world.

At Looksharp we want you to get the most out of your summer in San Francisco so we took the time to create an Internship City Guide and give you some broad stroke ideas on how to navigate the city and maximize your time here. The guide covers everything from transportation and networking opportunities to how to avoid some of the many San Francisco “gotchyas” such as the absurdly high parking meters.

See our housing guide for a full breakdown of neighborhoods and summer housing resources.

And don’t worry about finding the time to meet other interns, all you have to do is sign up for the Summer Internship Program and we’ll connect you with other students in the city and keep you aware of cool intern-centric events!

Enjoy!

Exploring San Francisco as an Intern

There’s never a shortage of fun things to do in San Francisco or the Bay area. From hunting down the best dumplings in Chinatown to heading over to UCSF for a tech talk, San Francisco has something to offer everyone.

For a truly unique experience make sure to enjoy the food trucks. Seriously, they’re everywhere, impossible to resist, and your rite of passage from summer transplant to local. Whether you like chicken masala, red velvet cupcakes, pulled pork sandwiches or bbq tofu burgers, you’re guaranteed to find your flavor.

If you’re looking for something a little lighter than bbq and cupcakes, then spend the afternoon at the Japanese Tea Garden. Tucked away in Golden Gate Park, it’s often overlooked by tourists, despite being the United
States’ oldest public tea garden. For $7 you can zen out amongst the lush gardens or enjoy traditional ramen, tea and pastries in their small cafe. Or for another version of a relaxing day, head over to Dolores Park for an outdoor treat. It’s a San Francisco jewel known for it’s unique mix of eccentric people and is also home to some of the
city’s best views.

Known for more than just great food, San Francisco’s location makes it the ideal place to spend the summer. Be sure to set aside some time to take a trip with friends, maybe drive an hour or two north for a day of wine tasting in
Napa Valley or Sonoma County. Or if you prefer fun in the sun, then drive an hour south (along Rt. 1) and enjoy the breathtaking views of California’s coastline.

A city with so many options can be overwhelming, so check out Meetup.com or Eventbrite and impress your friends by customizing your weekend plans. Featuring exclusive deals to restaurants, festivals, networking opportunities, concerts, and lectures, these sites provide some great ways to have an authentic San Francisco experience with opportunities to meet new people.

Need a lift? The Need-to-Knows About SF Transportation

One of the best parts of San Francisco is how easy it is to get around. If you’re tempted to bring your wheels, don’t. Parking in San Francisco is very limited, which makes it difficult to find and very expensive. Most of the city’s available parking requires meter fees Monday-Saturday, with lofty fines for expired meters. Daily parking in the city will cost around $20 a day; meanwhile, garage parking costs $150-$200 per month on average.

So how do you get around? Public transportation! Muni which includes busses, light rail, and trolleys has over 80 routes and will take you almost anywhere in the city (but beware bus stops are marked with a large yellow stripe on utility poles and can easily be missed). Also, Muni transit has some punctuality issues, so take advantage of NextBus for more accurate scheduling or use the city’s Trip Planner to figure out the best means of transit.

If you’re looking to branch out and explore the South Bay (including Palo Alto, Mountain View and the rest of Silicon Valley), Caltrain is convenient and runs regularly every day until midnight. Last but not least, for getting out to the East Bay, including Berkeley and Oakland you can hop on the Bay Area’s second major commuter rail system, BART.

When it comes down to paying for public transportation in San Francisco, it’s all about the Clipper Card.
Using their online payment system, you can load your Clipper Card with cash, individual rides, or monthly passes to save money on fares and add ease to your commute.

Think you might need a car for a special occasion or event? Then take advantage of several Zipcar lots located throughout the city where you can rent a car for a single ride.

Keeping in Shape and Looking Good in SF

Incase the hills, outdoor parks, rock climbing gyms, and numerous bike trails don’t fulfill your cardio fix, there are plenty of gyms to choose from throughout the city. Local SF gyms provide unique atmospheres such as Equinox, a higher-end workout facility, or Crunch Fitness, known to be a gym for the less serious fitness fiends.

In addition to these options most summer interns tend to be on the cost-conscious side and look to big chains like Gold’s Gym or 24 Hour Fitness that offer cheap monthly plans that can give you a place to stay fit during the summer without all the amenities.

Friends and family coming to visit?

If you have friends or family coming to visit, they’ll most likely either drive or fly into one of the three major airports in the Bay Area: SFO, SJC, or OAK. From there they can either foot a $50 bill for a cab ride into San Francisco or hop on Caltrain or BART. If there isn’t room at your place for them to shack-up, they can always find a great place to stay in the city using Airbnb.

Is there a doctor in the house?

Finding medical attention in a new city can be difficult, especially when you’re sick and need one most. ZocDoc
is a great tool to find a doctor based on your location and insurance provider and also to book an appointment online. If you’re in need of any serious help, you can always visit one of the main hospitals in SF such as St. Mary’s Medical Center or the UCSF Medical Center.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as What is an Internship? and find answers to common interview questions such as What’s Your Dream Job?

Charlotte Internship City Guide

Congratulations on landing a royal internship in the beautiful city of Charlotte, NC, also known as the Queen City! With its mid-Atlantic location, Charlotte is known as the international gateway to the South and is home to a unique blend of both old-fashioned and modern attractions, dining and entertainment. Its emerald tree-lined boulevards, glistening downtown skyline and Southern charm will pull you in and make it your newfound city love.

This kind of appeal has made Charlotte a booming hub for banking industry big names Bank of America and Wells Fargo, placing it as the largest banking headquarters in the country second to New York City. Living in the largest city in North Carolina, Charlotteans continue to make their city grow by developing the latest trends in technology, finance and commerce among their neighboring Southern cities.

At Looksharp we want you to get the complete experience during your stay in Charlotte so we created this Internship City Guide to get you ahead of the curb when it comes to navigating your way through Charlotte neighborhoods, transportation and popular spots for foodies and outdoor explorers alike.

Exploring Charlotte

You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the fair amount of cool places to check out in Charlotte. As a widespread city that seems to have a new neighborhood pop up every month, there’s almost always a spot nearby to spend some time exploring!

Downtown

Aside from its sky-high banking buildings, Downtown Charlotte is lined with the most interesting museums in the state, from the Carolinas Aviation Museum featuring exhibits on the history of aircrafts and flying (North Carolina’s Wright brothers were first in flight!) to two amazing side-by-side art museums: The Min Museum and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

If you’re craving a little more hands-on action while downtown, definitely make your way to Discovery Place, an interactive science museum and Charlottean favorite for years (my #1 field trip destination until college!). If lying on a bed of nails, crushing a garbage can, or scoping out cute animals on the National Geographic Crittercams isn’t enticing enough, Discovery Place also hosts an IMAX theater next door where you can watch science documentaries and Batman movies alike on the largest screen in the Carolinas.

For Downtown nightlife, enjoy bar-hopping made easy at The EpiCentre, a multi-level complex of Charlotte’s most popular Downtown bars, clubs, and restaurants. A personal favorite of mine is Mez, holding lavish interior design, stunning views of Charlotte’s skyline and a menu of classy cocktails and tasty late-night bites. Did I mention there’s a movie theatre within the restaurant with full access to the menu? Not much pairs better with an action film than a fresh plate of linguine caponata.

Freedom Park/Dilworth

After walking through Charlotte’s downtown skyline, you can relax in the prettiest Dilworth neighborhood spot, Freedom Park. Known as the Central Park of Charlotte, Freedom Park is a beautiful area full of rolling green hills (the largest known as “hippie hill”), walking trails and playgrounds — the perfect place to escape the daily grind. Bring a friend, a pup, a bike or a good book and enjoy the scenery for hours on end. And if you’re a picnic kinda person, you’re in luck as there are rows of popular restaurants along the East Boulevard entrance of the park where you can get your order to go and enjoy it at one of the many picnic tables in the Freedom Park. I recommend Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar to get your juicy, any-way-you-want-it burger and sweet potato fries fix.

Plaza-Midwood

Feeling a little more alternative? Head over to the Plaza-Midwood area, where leather biker vests, colorful wall art and vegan black bean falafels are the norm. The Plaza-Midwood area comes alive during both day and night. During the day, you can grab a bite to eat at one of the awesome variety of eateries all within the same block. For a hearty, mouth-watering Southern feast check out Dish, home to some of the best mac and cheese, BBQ sandwiches and biscuits in the city (Guy Fieri agrees). Not to mention, their menu features a section of awesome quesadillas and burritos too! After stuffing your face Southern style, take a walk down Central Avenue and pop into the cool shops and art galleries. Hong Kong is a favorite for vintage shoppers and thriftinistas.

Find yourself in Plaza-Midwood at night? Start your night off easy at %{link_to “Common Market”, “http://www.commonmarketisgood.com/”, :target=>”_blank”}, a charming, eclectic little spot for choice beers and wine from around the world. Pick up a round of pool or hang out on the back patio down the street at Elizabeth Billiards, a dive bar destination for all Plaza-Midwood locals. Before catching some zZz’s, make a late night stop at Diamond, an old-school diner brought back to life by a crave-worthy menu of late-night fried goodness (the hushpuppies are a must!).

NoDa

Located just a few blocks from Charlotte’s city center is North Davidson Street, celebrated as the city’s Historic Arts District, NoDa. Lined with historic art galleries, funky coffee shops and nightly entertainment in popular performance venues, NoDa is a gem that is not to be missed. Check out The Evening Muse, a listening room and art gallery where the best of Charlotte’s local music scene get their start. Across the street is the historic Neighborhood Theatre. Built in 1945 as a movie theater, this now-performance venue has hosted some of the most memorable concerts Charlotte’s seen and has also been the set for many music videos including North Carolina stars The Avett Brothers’ ““I and Love and You.””

Deciding where to grab a bite to eat in NoDa can be a challenge given the delicious range of options. Feeling baja fresh? Chow down on the city’s most popular fish taco at Cabo Fish Taco and enjoy the restaurant’s upbeat atmosphere. Feeling a little more French? Settle in at Crepe Cellar, a swanky kitchen and pub whose menu boasts European eats like steak frittes, French bread pizza and both savory and sweet crepes. Continue the French theme at NoDa’s star bakery, Amelie’s. With charming baby blue walls, gourmet salted caramel brownies and brie toasted baguettes, you’ll never want to leave Amelie’s side. In fact, its doors are open 24-hours, leaving many inner-city Charlotteans to call it their second home.

Southpark

Charlotte’s Southpark neighborhood is a favorite for residents and business owners alike. There’s no better place to shop ’til you drop than at Southpark Mall, the city’s largest shopping mall. It has all the essentials for retail therapy: Urban Outfitters, Aldo, Nordstrom, Gap and more. Connected to the mall are a variety of both chain and locally owned restaurants. Cowfish, which has recently exploded into the Charlotte foodie scene, offers a tongue-wagging half-sushi, half-burger menu that keeps its doors packed every night of the week. Down a mile from Southpark Mall is Phillips Place, a suburban oasis of clothing boutiques, wine bars and luxurious water fountains. All in all, the Southpark is a go-to destination for all of your shopping, entertainment, dining needs.

Transportation

Charlotte, with its horizontal patterns of growth and suburban sprawl, is not exactly the most ideal city for efficient public transportation. Having a car in Charlotte is your key to getting around town. Fortunately, there’s more than enough parking in most areas and lot prices are easily affordable.

The Lynx light rail system exclusively serves the Downtown area with lightning speed, passing through neighborhoods and areas of entertainment in and around downtown Charlotte from South Boulevard to 7th Street. Park and Ride lots are located at the majority of Lynx stations. Cost to ride is $1.75 each way.

Friends & Family Coming to Visit?

The CLT Charlotte Douglas International Airport serves hundreds of carriers and destinations, both international and domestic. If your place seems to be a little cramped, they can always find a great place to stay in the city using Airbnb.

Staying Fit in Charlotte

Don’t let its leisurely Southern pace fool you — Charlotteans are huge on keeping fit and trying out the latest workout trends. To keep in shape during your stay in Charlotte, you can join one of the many YMCA branches in the city, all of which offer a great variety of machines, butt-kicking classes and an overall supportive atmosphere for getting the most out of your workout.

If you’re on a tighter budget, look into a plan at Planet Fitness, an affordable alternative that offers gym essentials at a lower price. Forget the indoors — if breaking a sweat outdoors is more your thing, you gotta check out Ultimate Crossfit, a fitness club that will whip you into shape like never before, all while enjoying the scenery of Charlotte neighborhood parks (Freedom Park 5:30 am workout, anyone?).

It’s an Emergency, Doctor!

Having an idea of where to get medical attention is valuable information in any new city. ZocDoc is an online tool used to find a doctor based on your location and insurance provider, not to mention its easy online appointment booking process. You can always find immediate help at any Charlotte metropolitan area hospitals such as Presbyterian Hospital, or Carolinas Medical Center.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as What is an Internship? and find answers to common interview questions such as What’s Your Dream Job?

How to Be a Team Player

Learning how to work well with others is a crucial part of driving an organization towards success. If you’re working at your first paid or unpaid internship or entry-level job, it’s also a great way of showing that you’re committed to the position and to the company.

Here are a few qualities that can make a team player really shine in the workplace.

Identify your strengths, but try to be a utility player.

Know your strengths and use them to your advantage. A good team has people who can help out wherever is needed, but who also specialize in one area. Find out what your strength is and you will quickly become a revered member of the team. But be willing to jump in when someone on the team needs help or if the company faces an unforeseen challenge.

Be flexible.

Being flexible is a big part of the reason you were hired. Lots of employers prefer hiring interns and recent grads because they have yet to become “set” in their ways. Being flexible and useful is going to be valuable to everyone around you, so make sure that you demonstrate that flexibility by finding out where you can be helpful and then doing your best to make a positive impact.

Added bonus: Being flexible means that you’ll likely be exposed to different opportunities and learn a lot more than you anticipated.

Avoid falling into the trap of “playing politics.”

If you haven’t worked in an office before, you might not be familiar with office politics. However, one of the realities of working as part of a team (both large and small) is that team dynamics can be tricky. If you want to give yourself the best chance of success, be situationally aware and sensitive to everyone’s needs. More importantly, don’t fall into the trap of gossiping about your co-workers. This can seem harmless in the moment but it can create a lot of problems for the team and the company. Instead, be real and be confident in what you contribute to the team on a daily basis. Your work should and will speak for itself.

Be prepared with solutions, not problems.

Good leaders are looking to hire people that will one day replace them. It’s your job to always come prepared with solutions to a problem, rather than just talking about the problem itself. Many times people fall into the trap of going to management with an issue and hoping it will be fixed for them, but it’s very important to address each problem or pain point you see with a possible solution. Being a key member of a team means offering solutions not only to your own problems but to problems other team members might be facing.

 

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Mastering Your Summer Internship and find answers to common interview questions such as What Are Your Hobbies?.

The Introvert’s Guide to Speaking Up in Meetings

For many introverts, the idea of speaking up in a meeting can be challenging. Unlike extroverts who get their energy from being around other people, introverts feel best alone or in small groups of people they know well. However, participating in meetings is a key part of career development and something that is required in almost any position introverts will apply to, from paid and unpaid internships to entry-level jobs.

Luckily, even if you’re a deep introvert, there are several things you can do to make your voice heard during meetings and to make being in a meeting (surrounded by people) enjoyable for you.

Prepare something to say

Introverts generally prefer to assess the situation and the group dynamic before speaking, integrating this information into what they say. They’re also more likely to spend a lot of time thinking before they speak and can sometimes miss opportunities to talk in situations where things move quickly.

A great strategy for counteracting the fast pace of most meetings is to prepare a few key points in advance and mention at least one of these during the meeting. This will not only make it easier to speak up but will also ensure that you’re adding value to the conversation.

Pro Tip: Email the meeting organizer ahead of time and ask for the agenda. This will help you structure your thinking and also ensure that you’re addressing the main points of the meeting.

Speak up early

As anyone who’s been in a group setting or class discussion knows, the conversation can shift gears rapidly. By speaking up at the beginning of the meeting, you can establish your presence early on, while the conversation is still structured and not too fast-paced. Having made an impact in the meeting, you can then take additional time to decide whether you want to say anything else. This is also a great chance for you to guide the conversation and make it happen on your own terms.

Pro Tip: If you’re feeling unsure about how to speak up, try observing those who usually take the lead. Make note of what they say and how they say it, then adapt it to fit your style.

Follow up after the meeting

Even with pages of notes and a full meeting agenda, chances are that there will be a few things you want to think about more carefully before you share your opinion. That’s absolutely fine and, in fact, it’s where introverts can really shine.

As Susan Cain, leading introvert expert, explains in her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, having time to think through things on your own often leads to better ideas. If you do have something to add after the meeting, don’t be afraid to share this with the team by sending out an email with ideas and action points. This will likely keep the conversation going and result in some great outcomes for everyone.

Contrary to popular belief, introverts and extroverts are not at odds with each other. In fact, the two personality types are two sides of the same coin and often balance each other out, especially in professional settings. Although you may not feel as comfortable speaking up in a meeting as some of your more extroverted coworkers, by using these tips you can make an impact while staying true to who you are.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as 10 Tips on the Perfect Cover Letter and find answers to common interview questions such as What Are Your Hobbies?

Common First Job Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Landing your first job is an exciting moment because it marks the beginning of your professional career. But although it may seem like the hard part is over once you have your offer letter in hand, it’s important to be aware of the challenges you’ll face when starting a new job and to avoid the mistakes that can come along with it.

Here are three common mistakes that many people make in their first jobs.

1. Relying on yourself for guidance

You’re not expected to be perfect in your role from the get-go, especially at such an early stage of your career, so don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask for help from your managers and peers when you need it. Although it’s important to develop knowledge on your own, learning from higher-ups who have more experience is a great way to build your skills and knowledge effectively.

Fostering a mentorship with a trusted work colleague can also prove to be extraordinarily beneficial to your development. The best way to do this is by finding a co-worker (ideally someone who’s been in the same role or a similar role to yours) and asking them to go out for a mid-day coffee or after-work drinks. Learn about how this person came into the company, pick their brain on how they approach their work and get a good sense of your expected work-life balance. As your relationship grows and develops, rely on your new mentor for advice during challenging times or when navigating uncharted territory.

2. Underestimating the importance of grunt work

Your new career is likely to start in an entry-level position, which unfortunately comes with “grunt work” such as number-crunching, running reports and other tasks that your superiors don’t have the time or bandwidth to take on. While grunt work isn’t anything you can brag about to your friends, it’s an incredible opportunity to dive deeper into learning about your company while proving to your manager that you’re reliable and trustworthy. The best way to approach grunt work is to take what you can from it and use those tasks to grow your skill set. For example, if you’re building and running reports, it’s important to get an understanding of why the reports are important and gain as many insights as you can from them.

Pro Tip: Although it may seem like senior members of the team focus only on the most important tasks, the truth is that every position (including your manager’s position) involves some level of grunt work. By accepting this as a reality of professional life and making the most of it, you’ll be sure to impress your manager and to really grow into your role.

3. Expecting praise and promotions to come easily

Although being praised for a job well done is something we all aspire to, the reality is that much of what you’ll do in your first job (or any job) is about being patient and proving yourself. This means accepting new tasks enthusiastically, asking for feedback and not getting discouraged if your first attempt at a project doesn’t go as planned. By approaching your new job with a growth mindset and accepting praise graciously when it is given, you’ll be showing your manager that you’re there to learn and add value to the team, something that is much more likely to lead to a rewarding experience and a promotion down the line.

First job mistakes are a natural part of getting used to the professional world and chances are that you’ll make some mistakes no matter how careful you are. However, by anticipating common mistakes before they happen and learning how to resolve them, you’re likely to succeed in your new role and to impress your manager.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Tell if an Interview Went Well and find answers to common interview questions such as Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?