Dear interns,
If you’re reading this, then you must be about to start your first ever internship. I know what you’re going through, the uncertainty, constant worrying, and anxiety as to when you’re going to get that email that says, “Congratulations! You have been accepted.” I’m writing this letter because I want to help you, so you can calm those nerves a little bit.
Before we begin I would just like to say, relax and be yourself. When it’s time for you to send out those video profiles about yourself, hotels like interns who are genuine and composed. This is going to help you greatly when you have Skype interviews. If you’re planning on following a script or having a cheat sheet when you are being interviewed, don’t do it. The more staged your answers are, the more boring you will appear. When I was interviewed by the hotel group I applied to, I kept the conversation light-hearted and thought of it as just that, a conversation and not an interview. Keep cool and have fun with it, you’ll be fine.
When you’re finally in the foreign country, the most important thing is to know how to speak the language. Basic phrases are key for emergency situations and its best to know them to get around town. Then, familiarize yourself with the public transport. Bus and Metro cards can be purchased for cheaper fares. This is very important because walking may not always be an option. Especially when you’re fatigued from work. Another tip, however this one you should already know, learn how to cook meals. Eating outside can be very expensive (especially for me here in Barcelona) and interns don’t make a lot of money so spend it wisely. Go out and have dinner sometimes, not always. Also, void eating in places near tourist attractions. They are overpriced compared to the restaurants where locals eat.
Since I worked from 5pm to 1am 5-7 days a week, my time schedule was all over the place. I would get home at around 1:15am by walking, eat dinner, and enjoy some me-time until about 7am before I sleep. From there, I wake up at around 12:30pm, eat at 3pm because by 3:45pm, I’m getting ready for my 5pm shift. I start walking to work 40 minutes before my shift starts.
At work, expect to be constantly working the whole 8 hours. While I was at room service, when it was quiet, I’d spend that time cleaning trays, polishing glass and silverware, and replenishing our inventory. It’s definitely more tiring than school.
You’re basically an adult when you’re on your internship so you’ll be facing a lot of real world challenges: Managing your finances, keeping the house tidy, doing your laundry, and cooking your food. For money management, focus on necessity rather than your wants. Shopping should always be controlled and it’s good to shop with a friend who can tell you if you are going overboard. You can keep the house tidy by devoting one day every week to cleaning up the house. Same goes with laundry, devoting a day to do it is a smart thing to do because you don’t want your dirty clothes piling up to an extreme amount. Cooking food is key because you save so much this way. Simple meals like bacon for breakfast, and chicken breast for lunch or dinner with some white rice is enough to fill your belly. Use YouTube as a guide to help you cook, because it helped me.
Those are my key tips for you to remember. There really is nothing to fear, internships are always a blast and you get to live life the way YOU want to while at the same time making friends with some of the best people you’ll ever meet.
Sincerely,
Jack Monk
Before we begin I would just like to say, relax and be yourself. When it’s time for you to send out those video profiles about yourself, hotels like interns who are genuine and composed. This is going to help you greatly when you have Skype interviews. If you’re planning on following a script or having a cheat sheet when you are being interviewed, don’t do it. The more staged your answers are, the more boring you will appear. When I was interviewed by the hotel group I applied to, I kept the conversation light-hearted and thought of it as just that, a conversation and not an interview. Keep cool and have fun with it, you’ll be fine.
When you’re finally in the foreign country, the most important thing is to know how to speak the language. Basic phrases are key for emergency situations and its best to know them to get around town. Then, familiarize yourself with the public transport. Bus and Metro cards can be purchased for cheaper fares. This is very important because walking may not always be an option. Especially when you’re fatigued from work. Another tip, however this one you should already know, learn how to cook meals. Eating outside can be very expensive (especially for me here in Barcelona) and interns don’t make a lot of money so spend it wisely. Go out and have dinner sometimes, not always. Also, void eating in places near tourist attractions. They are overpriced compared to the restaurants where locals eat.
Since I worked from 5pm to 1am 5-7 days a week, my time schedule was all over the place. I would get home at around 1:15am by walking, eat dinner, and enjoy some me-time until about 7am before I sleep. From there, I wake up at around 12:30pm, eat at 3pm because by 3:45pm, I’m getting ready for my 5pm shift. I start walking to work 40 minutes before my shift starts.
At work, expect to be constantly working the whole 8 hours. While I was at room service, when it was quiet, I’d spend that time cleaning trays, polishing glass and silverware, and replenishing our inventory. It’s definitely more tiring than school.
You’re basically an adult when you’re on your internship so you’ll be facing a lot of real world challenges: Managing your finances, keeping the house tidy, doing your laundry, and cooking your food. For money management, focus on necessity rather than your wants. Shopping should always be controlled and it’s good to shop with a friend who can tell you if you are going overboard. You can keep the house tidy by devoting one day every week to cleaning up the house. Same goes with laundry, devoting a day to do it is a smart thing to do because you don’t want your dirty clothes piling up to an extreme amount. Cooking food is key because you save so much this way. Simple meals like bacon for breakfast, and chicken breast for lunch or dinner with some white rice is enough to fill your belly. Use YouTube as a guide to help you cook, because it helped me.
Those are my key tips for you to remember. There really is nothing to fear, internships are always a blast and you get to live life the way YOU want to while at the same time making friends with some of the best people you’ll ever meet.
Sincerely,
Jack Monk