30 Jun Top Productivity Hacks For Your High School Internship
Are the lazy days of summer making you daydream during your new summer internship? Do you feel yourself being easily distracted from the boring monotony of grown up office life? It can be hard to adjust to the new pace of life that comes with working versus being a student, but no fear! Here’s your top productivity hacks to stay locked in at your high school internship.
Distractions Need To GO!
In today’s digital landscape, it’s almost impossible to resist the temptation of mindlessly scrolling through TikTok whenever you have a free moment (guilty!). With the rise of shorter form content, our attention spans have suffered in a major way. This can bleed into the workplace and greatly affect your ability to get work done. As a high school intern, now is your chance to prove to yourself and your internship provider just how dedicated and focused you can be.
Harder said than done? Consider putting your phone on airplane mode or turning on the Do Not Disturb feature while at your internship. Clear your workspace of any distractions, and keep water and any coffee/caffeine you need nearby. Put on some noise-canceling headphones playing soft, acoustic or classical music to drown out any background noise. (Side tip-we love playing the soundtracks of video games while working to help maintain focus!) Anything that could divert your attention from the tasks at hand should be put on hold until after your internship day ends. By training your brain to believe that nothing else matters during your workday except the work in front of you, you can actually achieve a better work-life balance.
Set Attainable Goals
Determine what it is that you should be working towards. Most of the time, your supervisor or manager will help you understand their expectations by walking you through them. This is important! Once you know what you’re looking to accomplish, you can establish smaller goals along the way to achieve your overall objective. Knowing what you are contributing to the bigger picture during your internship can help you see your purpose within the organization. This is a great time to work on your budding time management skills and set yourself some goals to keep yourself accountable and get what you want out of the internship. Without goals it is near impossible to expect yourself to be able to focus on work and not get sidetracked by distractions. Keep your goals crystal clear and strive to reach that finish line.
Prioritize
No goals are achieved when you aren’t sure what you should be doing first. Get a notebook or planner that you like and start listing out everything you need to do in order of importance. If you’re unsure which tasks are most critical, don’t hesitate to ask your manager for guidance in ordering them. Before you wrap up your high school internship each day, take a moment to assess your progress on your task list and reorganize what needs to be tackled the next day. It may seem simple, but there’s no better gift you can give yourself tomorrow than a well-organized morning.
Find A Mentor
If you aren’t given a mentor during your internship, seek one out on your own! Finding someone with more experience that you can ask questions and learn from, will not only help you stay more productive at your internship now, but could help grow your overall network, for the rest of your professional life!
Equally important is asking this mentor, or your supervisor, for feedback. While uncomfortable and a bit awkward, feedback is a critical component of growth. Not only will you grow faster when you ask for feedback, but you display a high level of professionalism and maturity by being able to handle and consider others’ opinions on your work. As a high school intern, this feedback is worth its weight in gold as you progress forward in your professional life.
Take Good Breaks
Believe it or not, but no one expects you to work the full 8 hours of your day. Heck- no one wants you to! It’s not only not healthy, but will often result in less quality work. Taking breaks can be productive, as they can help maintain your focus and prevent you from a day ruining (or perhaps internship ruining) burnout. There’s tons of different ways to take an effective break and they often change depending on your company’s culture and what they provide for down time. Not sure where to start? Try practicing the Pomodoro effect, a technique where you work for a clearly defined amount of time and then reward yourself with a short break (ex. 30 minute work sprint with a 5 minute beat in between). This method helps you manage your time and spent less time in the “in between” moments between a break and work.
Take Care Of Your Brain and Body This Summer
The most simple hack we can give you for this summer internship is to truly prioritize your health during this time. Take rests when you need them, sleep 8-10 hours each night if you can, and eat good, filling meals. As a high school intern, this is likely your first experience in the workplace, and you may need time to adjust to the new world. Set your body up for success during this time of lots of learning!
When weekends come, make sure to plan fun activities for yourself, outside if possible. See friends and socialize! Take the full time to rest completely, so that you can come to your internship refreshed and ready to achieve your goals.
At the end of the day, being productive is not about simply crossing things off of a list. It’s about learning in your internship consistently, and keeping yourself moving throughout the day towards your professional goals. Being mentally alert and actively listening to those around you is far more productive than getting all your tasks on a sheet done. Focus on your growth, and you will be as productive as possible!
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