My Internship Essentials

Hello all! I'm back. The start of this fall semester has been BUSY. I've taken time to get adjusted to my classes and figure out how to balance school, my internship, and my extra-curriculars. This means I haven't written and posted a blogpost in quite some time, but I want to get back into the swing of things. Thanks for sticking around and continuing to support me. It means a ton!

Yesterday morning, as I locked my car and started my hike up the bridge that connects the parking lot to the building at Meredith Corporation (where I have my internship with Better Homes & Gardens), I threw my tote bag over my shoulder knowing I had packed everything I needed inside. In doing this, I thought sharing my internship essentials would be a fun blogpost to bring to you! I'm excited to be back blogging and I hope to produce more of these short and sweet posts in the next weeks.

MY INTERNSHIP ESSENTIALS:

1. A great bag- Two summers ago, as I prepared for my sophomore year and thought about securing an internship in the future, I invested in a tote bag. I used that bag so much in just the first year that I had it that I ended up needing to get it replaced. I can confidently say that a larger bag is absolutely essential. My Kate Spade New York bag helps me organize all the things I need for each day and easily tote them all the way up to my cubicle. There are bags of all colors, sizes, and styles, so you can definitely find the perfect bag for your personality or style. I picked a neutral but classy bag that will go with any outfit I wear.

2. Laptop- My internship provided me with a laptop and it is so helpful to have a separate system for my internship. This helps me focus on my work when I'm at Meredith and focus on school when I'm at home with my personal laptop. While this may not be conducive to all internships, it is one of my essentials that I've grown to appreciate.

3. Notebook- Per my advisor's suggestion, I have a designated notebook for my internship. Every day I write down everything I do: each project I work on, each meeting I attend, etc. This will be extremely helpful when I have to detail what I did at my internship for cover letters, resumes, and the internship reflection I have to write at the end of the year. Additionally, writing everything down helps when questions arise and I have to reference my past work or schedule.

4. Pencil Pouch- I carry a pencil pouch absolutely everywhere I go. It moves between my backpack and purses and contains pens, pencils, and assorted highlighters.

5. Magazine- As an Editorial Apprentice for Better Homes & Gardens, I always have some issue of the magazine floating around in my bag. I make sure to read each new issue in its entirety when it is released so it usually travels with me. At your internship you may carry around papers, folders, or other business materials.

6. Headphones- Somedays I listen to music while working in my cubicle, headphones are required for this. You also never know when you will have to watch a video at work, so pack headphones to prevent your work from disrupting your coworkers.

7. Phone and Apple Watch- Let's be honest, these two things go everywhere with me. These are daily essentials that help me communicate with others and stay on top of my notifications and obligations.

8. Lunch box- Although there is a cafeteria in the basement of our building, I personally prefer bringing my lunch most days. Each morning I pack a snack and my lunch in my lunch box to bring into work along with my tote bag.

9. Coffee Thermos/Mug- The company I work for has a coffee machine on most levels. I usually bring along my own container so that I can take advantage of this and don't waste tons of money buying coffee.

10. General Essentials- A few things that I always pack in my bag, regardless of where I'm going are:

- Water bottle

- Chapstick

- Hand sanitizer

- Gum or mints

My bag can be pretty heavy with all of this in it, but these are all things I use each and every time I work. I hope you found this to be interesting, I enjoyed writing it! If you're planning on interning in the future maybe you can reference this list as you pack for your first day. I am excited to share more about my internship in the weeks and months to come. It has already been an AMAZING experience! Let me know if there are other topics you would love to see a blog post on. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!

#LIFESTYLE