The ABC’s of Interning

You research, you apply, you get the call. You just landed the internship you have been dreaming of throughout your college career. You walk in on the first day, you’re given an assignment. Now all of a sudden you feel overwhelmed. You aren’t the only one.

Internships are an incredible opportunity to grow within an industry, as well as grow on a personal level, but they can be overwhelming at first, especially if it’s your first time interning with a company. Here are a few tips that I learned throughout my time as an intern with TGR Live and the Tiger Woods Foundation.

1. Ask questions – Always make sure you completely understand a task when it is assigned. If you feel you need more clarification, don’t be afraid to ask questions and get more in-depth instructions. As an intern at TGR Live in the sales department, I am given tasks each day that are important to the overall success of the events team. I must be able to ask questions and not be afraid to learn more about the sales process. Having open communication with my supervisors has been a huge element of success within our sales team.
2. Be available – Make sure that your supervisors know that you are there to support them if they need assistance on a project. Something I have learned in my time at TGR Live is making myself available to other departments outside of sales not only helps me develop my skills, but it helps other members of the team and expands my reach within the office. If the work load doesn’t get too heavy, I would recommend letting other office members know that you are there to support them in addition to your specified duties.
3. Complete tasks – This one is probably the most important of the ABC’s of interning. When a task is assigned to you, make sure you fully understand the assignment and then complete the first draft of it yourself. As noted earlier, it is ok and important to ask questions, but as an intern, it is key to show that you can complete the work independently and then receive feedback for a second draft. This is something I set as a goal for myself while interning with TGR Live. As a sales team intern, I am given the responsibility of writing drafts for proposals and presentations. In completing these assignments on my own the first time around, I have shown my supervisors that I am capable of completing the work load and contributing to the success of the overall team.

I hope these tips are things that you can use to apply to your internship and better your experience. My time at TGR Live has been incredible, and I am so proud to have been able to contribute to the overall success of the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Kyle Buzy was the special events intern during 2017, supporting corporate partnerships, sales and event activations across multiple TGR Live events.