Ten ways to impress your boss during the first week

1. Make a powerful first impression. “Before setting foot in the office, become a sponge. Exhaust your online resources and briefing materials to absorb everything you can about the organization,” said Peter Stephens, managing director of internships at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. “On the first day, show you are ready to work by walking in on-time and exuding a can-do attitude. Also, go the extra mile. Show you are acclimating to office culture by learning people's name and treating everyone, from secretary to CEO, with respect and civility.”

 

2. Over-deliver on your first assignment. “It is unlikely that you will have a major assignment in your first week; however, that should not prevent you from delivering stellar output,” said Ron Mitchell, CEO and co-founder of Gotta Mentor. “If your boss asks for three examples, give him five. If you are asked to summarize two articles, summarize three. Of course, you don’t want to sacrifice quality for quantity, but if you can deliver more than what was asked, you are on your way to becoming a star within the organization.”

 

3. Come prepared with a list of questions or expectations. “By asking questions, interns will appear eager to learn and thus quickly gain the trust of the employers that they will tackle any task head-on,” said Angela Ruggiero, a senior account executive and Internship Enrichment Program (IEP) advisor at Stanton Communications.

 

4. Take notes. “Whenever your boss calls you into their office, go in with a pen and paper. Never go in their office without a pen and paper. This shows that you take your job seriously and that you begin each task with a sense of urgency and importance,” said Lauren Berger, “The Intern Queen.”

 

5. Learn names quickly. “Make a conscious effort to retain as many names as possible, in particular by using them as much as possible. A person's name are the sweetest words to their ears and the more they hear it from you (within reason), the better the chance they'll like you from early on,” said Jacob Share, a job search expert with JobMob.

 

6. Be observant about your supervisor's communication preferences. “If your supervisor seems to have a preference for using email versus telephone conversations versus face-to-face meetings, honor that preference. This will be one way to establish a good rapport right from the start,” said Dr. Janet Scarborough Civitelli, owner of VocationVillage.com.

 

7. Show up appropriately dressed and well-groomed. “Notice how those in the next level up are dressed, and mimic that,” said John West Hadley, a career search counselor.

 

8. Take initiative. “Don’t wait to be told what to do. Initiative is the ability to take action and the less you require direction, the more you are seen as an independent professional. Pitch in when you have the time to do so,” said Joni Daniels, founder and principal of Daniels & Associates.

 

9. Remember, your boss comes first. “Supervisor requests come first even if other key employees request support. The supervisor should mediate conflicts in assignments, not the employee,” said Judit E. Price, principal of Berke and Price Associates.

 

10. Have a positive attitude. “During the first week, it’s important to express a positive attitude and a lot of interest in the new position. This can be done by asking a lot of questions about the company, the industry, company procedures, success stories, clients, etc. It’s very discouraging to any supervisor if a new employee demonstrates a negative attitude and/or is a complainer,” said Becky Manuel, vice president of public relations and marketing at Americas Media Group Worldwide.