As someone who has been an intern at other companies before, there is some advice that I wish would have been given to me before I started. So, I would like to offer some advice to those who may be a potential hire as an intern at Indium Corporation or elsewhere.

Being a newly-hired intern, you are thrust into an environment that you may be unfamiliar with. Especially since a college environment is fairly different from a professional industrial business environment, but not too different. One skill that carries over nicely from an academic setting is networking.

Networking is defined as: “the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.”

In college it is beneficial to network with your colleagues and even your professors. The better the network you have, the better off you will be. A good rapport with a professor can result in you getting a good reference when applying for a job or internship. Networking with people in your class can offer you an opportunity such as forming a study group to help you and your friends pass that calculus exam; the possibilities are endless.

The value in networking is not lost in a professional environment either. At my first internship, I found it intimidating at times to introduce myself to others, considering the fact that I was a lowly intern, thinking that I would be tasked with the usual coffee run and other cliché activities. However, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself or even just say “Good morning” to someone when you first walk in the door.  The more you introduce yourself to others and get to know the people you’ll be working with, the more comfortable you will be.