Internship Advice: How to Mirror Your Office Culture

By Kylie Exline on January 16, 2017

Throughout our college career, we experience many new things in the workplace. If you happen to work or intern in an office, you need to learn how to integrate into a unique office environment.

There is a distinct culture that comes with the atmosphere, the people, and the work being done in an office. The last thing you want to do is negatively stick out. Read below to discover how to mirror the culture of your office.

Dress accordingly

Working or interning in an office usually means dressing professionally — you know, the dresses, the ties, and the somewhat put together outfits.

For most offices, the dress code is professional Monday through Thursday, but once Friday hits, jeans are everywhere. And depending on what season it is, the dress code changes. For example, in the summer you could wear tinier blouse straps or flats. Then in the fall you can get away with flowy dresses.

It is very important to pay attention to what other people in the office wear because it may depend on who you are. If you are the boss, editor-in-chief, or PR director, there might be a different dress expectation. And if you are an intern, there is most likely even different attire, including a name tag. How great is that?

stocksnap.io

Speak with purpose

In a professional environment, you should speak with poise and purpose but do not sound like a robot. You can still be yourself while being respectful to those around you. And if you are anything like me, it is a tad difficult to always be sincere and non-sarcastic.

My advice would be to know who you are speaking to and be yourself while being polite. This in no way means cursing to your boss or intern advisor with your slang diction, but maybe just speak to them with charisma and remember that they are human. You do not have to hold them on a pedestal, just be cautious of what and how you say things. It will pay off (unless it is an unpaid internship).

If you pay attention to how others interact with their peers in the office, then you usually cannot go wrong with mirroring them. Just remain hesitant on mirroring them completely because they have obviously been working there longer, have more of a responsibility and name in the company, and are not an intern. The last thing you want to do is call the visiting CEO by his or her first name. Just a thought.

Be prompt

Although this may sound pretty obvious, many do not see the significance until it is too late, literally. Be on time. I know, this is a tough rule to follow. But honestly, be on time and remember that punctuality matters a lot. Of course, there will be those days with bad weather or traffic, but that is understandable. Do not be 45 minutes late with a venti Starbucks and not enough to pass around.

This also comes into play with meetings. Do not interrupt the meeting with the excuse that you forgot. If anything, try to quietly sneak in and if anyone asks, you were finishing with a phone call or something else relatively imperative. Just do not make habit of it, people.

Being prompt does not necessarily mean that you show up on the dot. In many cases, they really want you there a few minutes early. By the time you clock in and whatnot, it’ll be the proper time anyway. Plus, it never hurts to show up early, especially when you are an intern and want to show them how great you are. Remember, you have to earn it.

When you work in an office environment, remember to have an optimistic attitude and to remain friendly while speaking with respect and poise. Mirroring your co-workers and peers can help a lot because they obviously are doing it correctly for the most part, and teaching you vital notes along the way. Make sure to dress accordingly, speak with purpose, and be on time. This way, you have a lot to offer and not just a lot to learn.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format