Have your own sack lunch in a backpack, along with a bottle of water and other survival items. Pack non-perishables that you can carry another day, in case you do get an invitation to lunch.
How will I know?
You may have to ask your mentor.
"Should I bring my lunch to the site?"
"Do the interns go out for lunch?"
What if my boss takes me out?
Use all your manners and don't order a beer.
"May I pay for my share?"
"May I leave the tip?"
Your internship supervisor or mentor will probably be sensitive to costs you will meet on the job, and that includes your meals, snacks, and even transportation. This is a good person to ask about inexpensive lunch spots!
Lunch out & separate checks... Waiters sometimes help establish the protocol by asking, "Will this be on separate checks?" All you have to say is, "Yes." If the waiter doesn't do that, just speak up when you order, "I'll have the #6, and I'll need a separate check."
Lunch in & unwritten rules... If meals are in eaten on site, either by food delivery or packed lunches, you may have to observe closely to learn the unwritten and unspoken protocol about (a) who sits where in the break room, (b) whether food is allowed in offices, (c) who cleans the refrigerator.
"I'll be writing only about my favorite recipes for the next 3 months...."
3. Follow the unwritten rules.
Clean up your spaces.
"I can see how my Facebook persona doesn't fit my new role."
"Just in case you google me, keep in mind that I was 15 when I created that fake website."
The business, education, and nonprofit worlds are not nearly forgiving enough—they are headed up by people whose youthful indiscretions were not recorded in an internet archive (see the Wayback Machine for a lesson in digital permanence). But those people will now be judging you what you do online. Be aware that most of them are not blogging, and they don't want you blogging about them.
Non-disclosure requirements... You have every right to blog, but you may have to do it while not employed or while not in an internship. It is common in business to have "non-disclosure" requirements whereby employees are restricted from what they say or write about the company in public forums. Interns are expected to abide by the same rules.
Be open to exploring the topic... On the other hand, your blogging expertise may be highly valued at your site, if you introduce it the right way. Explore the idea with a mentor to see how you can blog and the site can benefit.
Interns are sometimes reluctant to introduce themselves on the job. But your mentor will not always be around to smooth the way for you, so develop your own self-introduction and practice it in front of the mirror.
Keep it very short... As the name implies, this self-introduction should be appropriate to the length it takes to travel a few floors on an elevator. So, just 50 or 100 words is fine!
Keep it simple... "Hi, Ms. President. I'm Shelly Jones, and I'm the intern in marketing this summer. Thanks for welcoming us at the orientation. I appreciate the opportunity to writes ads for the Eco-Green campaign this summer and if you come by the 7th floor, I can show you the carbon footprint design I'm working on."
"I will have to take time off from work to come here. Can you pay me?"
What if they say there's no pay?
Some organizations cannot pay interns a wage. Explore some more.
"Can you give me a stipend or some other form of support?"
"Can you assist with housing or transportation?"
What if they still say no?
If it's the internship you yearn for, say OK.
"Thanks for trying. I will come anyway and live on a budget."
"I understand. I still want to work here, so I'm saying Yes."
Internships always require some form of sacrifice, either in time or lost wages, or both. You will have to decide up front whether you can afford to accept a completely volunteer internship or practicum.
Be open to possibilities... a far-away internship may actually be the one that offers the most support (such as travel expenses and housing), so don't assume that you must stay near your campus in order to economize.
Be open to a new vocabulary... you may be thinking "paid," while the internship may use terms like "stipend," and "grant."
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