What Is Expected of You

Preparation is essential for making a strong first impression and starting your internship smoothly. The story above demonstrates how easily things can go wrong without proper planning. Here’s how to ensure your first day, and every day after, runs smoothly.

Making Initial Contact

Before your first day, speak directly with your supervisor over the phone to confirm the details of your arrival. Important questions to ask include:

• the exact building and room/office location
• the best entrance to use
• where to park (if driving) or which campus entrance is closest
• what time they expect you
• whether you need to bring any specific documents or equipment.

Always follow up this conversation with a brief email to confirm the details. This gives both you and your supervisor a written record to refer to.
Remember our opening story? If they had made this initial contact, they would have known exactly which building to go to and wouldn’t have spent precious time searching the wrong location. A simple phone call and follow-up email could have prevented their stressful sprint across campus.

Planning Your Journey

Transport planning is crucial for professional punctuality. Here are some key strategies:

• use at least two different transport apps to cross-check your travel time
• for public transport, check both the transport company’s official app and an alternative like Google Maps
• allow extra time for unexpected delays, especially during peak hours or wet weather
• consider doing a practice run a few days before, at the same time you’ll be travelling for your internship.

This careful planning is particularly important in major cities like Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, where transport disruptions are common. A single broken-down train can cause ripple effects across the entire network, while a minor traffic accident can turn a 30-minute drive into a 90-minute ordeal. Even seemingly small events like sports matches or concerts can significantly impact your journey time. Building in this buffer time might mean arriving a bit early occasionally, but it’s far better than being late and appearing unprofessional.

Remember to check for planned disruptions too. Major cities often schedule infrastructure maintenance that can affect both public transport and road networks. Transport authorities usually announce these changes in advance through their apps and websites, so checking these the night before your internship can help you plan alternative routes if needed.

Timing Your Arrival

Professional workplaces have different expectations than university classes. Aim to arrive:

• 5-10 minutes before your agreed start time
• not too early (more than 15 minutes) unless specifically arranged
• never late, this creates a poor first impression and can impact the whole team’s schedule.

Unlike university, where you can quietly slip into the back of a lecture theatre, your supervisor and colleagues may have scheduled their day around your arrival. They might have planned team meetings, site visits, or training sessions that require your presence at specific times. Arriving too early can be just as disruptive as being late. Your supervisor might be in another meeting or preparing for your arrival, and having you wait in their office or workspace for an extended period could be uncomfortable for everyone.

The ideal 5-10 minute window allows you to:

• find your way to the correct location
• take a moment to compose yourself
• use the bathroom if needed
• review any materials you’ve brought
• appear eager but not overly anxious.

If you do find yourself running late due to circumstances beyond your control, contact your supervisor as soon as possible. A brief message explaining the situation and your estimated arrival time shows respect for their time and demonstrates professional communication skills.

Understanding Expectations and Building Proactive Career Behaviours

Your internship provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate your professional capabilities and learn from experienced practitioners. Research shows that successful internships are characterised by two-way dialogue between interns and supervisors, not just one-way instruction (Okolie et al., 2023). This collaborative approach is especially prevalent in Australian workplaces.

From your first day, take the initiative to understand what is required of you and actively engage in proactive career behaviours. Crockett and Preston (2004) emphasise that workplace participation and engagement lead to better professional outcomes, particularly when employees demonstrate initiative in their career development. Australian workplaces generally foster an egalitarian culture, where open communication across all organisational levels is encouraged and valued. This means that thoughtful questions and requests for clarification, even from senior staff members, are usually welcome. Ask for clarification when tasks aren’t clear. Don’t hesitate to:

• ask for clarification when tasks aren’t clear
• seek confirmation that you’re on the right track
• request feedback on your work
• double-check deadlines and deliverables.

While hierarchies exist in Australian workplaces, the culture tends to be less formal than in many other countries. Quality supervisor support during work placements is essential for enhancing students’ career interests and actions (Okolie et al., 2023). You might notice that managers and senior staff are often addressed by their first names, and most encourage direct communication. This approachable atmosphere means you shouldn’t feel intimidated about:

• asking questions during team meetings
• seeking guidance from your supervisor
• requesting help when you need it
• sharing your ideas or concerns.

Taking Ownership of Your Experience

Professional workplaces expect interns to take responsibility for their learning and contribution to the organisation. This means being proactive about your development and honest in your communication. Here’s how to demonstrate professional ownership:

Speaking Up When Things Aren’t Right

Workplace safety and ethical conduct depend on everyone’s willingness to raise concerns. This includes:

• identifying potential safety hazards in your work area
• reporting procedures that seem incorrect or inefficient
• discussing workload issues before they become overwhelming
• raising concerns about inappropriate workplace behaviour
• alerting your supervisor to potential errors in calculations or data.

Research highlights why speaking up is particularly important for interns and junior employees, even though it may feel challenging. Oakman et al. (2024) identify that while many workers recognise common workplace issues like stress, fatigue, and inadequate training, they often hesitate to report them. This reluctance stems from several factors, as outlined in the table below adapted from Clarkson et al. (2018).

Reasons why Junior Employees do not Report Workplace Issues

Percentage of Workers

However, failing to report issues can perpetuate workplace hazards and contribute to poor organisational outcomes. Clarkson et al. (2018) found that when young workers don’t raise concerns:

• problems often go unaddressed until they become more serious
• other workers may face similar risks without warning
• important opportunities for workplace improvement are missed
• organisational learning is limited
• worker wellbeing and job satisfaction decrease.

In Australian workplaces, speaking up about problems is viewed as responsible behaviour, not complaining. Top organisations actively encourage employees at all levels to raise concerns because:

• fresh perspectives from new employees often help identify issues that long-term staff may have overlooked or accepted as “normal”
• early reporting of potential issues is more cost-effective and safer than dealing with problems after they cause harm
• building a speak-up culture improves overall workplace safety outcomes and employee wellbeing
• organisations with strong reporting cultures tend to have better safety performance and lower incident rates.

When raising concerns:

• document specific examples of the issue you’ve observed
• frame your concern in terms of workplace safety and efficiency rather than complaints
• propose potential solutions when possible
• use established reporting channels (e.g., supervisors, Health and Safety Representatives, workplace safety systems)
• remember that you have a right and responsibility to raise legitimate concerns. For more information, view the Protections at work fact sheet by the Fair Work Commission.

If you feel uncomfortable raising an issue directly:

• consult with your workplace Health and Safety Representative (HSR)
• discuss with your supervisor or another trusted senior colleague
• seek advice from the placements team at your university
• consider using anonymous reporting systems if available.

Asking Questions When Uncertain

Uncertainty is natural in any new role. Professional conduct means seeking clarification rather than making assumptions. Consider these approaches:

 

Frame your questions to show you’ve thought about the problem and are seeking guidance to perform better. Research by Oakman et al. (2024) shows that young workers who actively seek clarification are more likely to understand and implement safety procedures correctly. When asking questions:

• demonstrate preparation
• review available materials first
• note specific points that need clarification
• show what you already understand before asking about what you don’t
• reference relevant procedures or past examples.

Time Your Questions Appropriately

• ask during designated check-in times when possible
• for urgent matters, preface with “I have a time-sensitive question about…”
• consider whether the question needs immediate attention or can wait for a scheduled meeting
• be mindful of your supervisor’s other commitments.

Follow Up Effectively

• take notes during the discussion
• summarise key points back to confirm understanding
• document the guidance for future reference
• share any relevant learnings with team members facing similar challenges.

Build Professional Confidence

Clarkson et al. (2018) reported that 61% of young workers lack confidence in raising workplace issues. Combat this by:

• starting with questions about processes and procedures
• building up to more complex inquiries as your understanding grows
• using each interaction as an opportunity to demonstrate your professional development
• showing how you’ve applied previous guidance to new situations.

Managing Mistakes Professionally

Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals. What matters is how you handle them:

• acknowledge the mistake promptly
• take responsibility without making excuses.

Present the situation to your supervisor clearly:

• what happened
• any immediate consequences
• steps you’ve already taken to address it.

Ask for guidance on:

• how to fix the current situation
• how to prevent similar mistakes
• what you should learn from this experience.

Research suggests that proactively disclosing your mistakes, rather than waiting for others to discover them, leads to better outcomes and builds trust. This approach, known as “stealing thunder,” involves taking the initiative to admit errors before someone else points them out (Guchait et al., 2023). When owning up to a mistake, it’s important to accept full responsibility rather than trying to blame others or make excuses. The key is to acknowledge the error promptly, demonstrate genuine accountability, and focus on solutions or lessons learned rather than dwelling on justifications. Mura et. al. (2013) show that this upfront, honest approach helps maintain credibility and professional relationships, as it demonstrates integrity and a commitment to improvement. While sharing mistakes can feel uncomfortable, doing so in a transparent and accountable way strengthens trust and can lead to better workplace outcomes than if the mistake had been concealed or revealed by someone else.

For example, instead of saying, “The spreadsheet got messed up,” try this approach, “I noticed I made an error in the calculations on yesterday’s spreadsheet. I’ve identified where the mistake occurred and would like your guidance on the best way to correct it.”

Building Professional Resilience

Taking ownership also means:

• accepting constructive feedback professionally
• learning from challenges and setbacks
• adapting your approach based on experience
• supporting team members when they need help
• contributing to a positive workplace culture.

Managing Personal Issues

During your internship, you may encounter situations where personal matters impact your work. Many people hesitate to discuss personal issues in professional settings, often due to concerns about career implications or being perceived as less committed (van den Akker et al., 2017; Eldine, 2016; Lauzun et al., 2010). These concerns are natural and understandable. Van den Akker et. al. (2017) found that employees across all levels worry about maintaining professional boundaries while managing personal challenges.

However, it’s important to understand that Australian workplaces typically foster a more supportive environment than many other countries. The egalitarian culture common in Australian organisations encourages open communication between supervisors and employees. This means that while maintaining professional boundaries is important, there’s generally greater acceptance of work-life balance needs and more established support systems for managing personal challenges. This supportive workplace culture can lead to better outcomes for both employees and organisations.

What makes your situation unique is that as an intern, you have access to additional layers of support that regular employees don’t have. Beyond your workplace supervisor, you can reach out to your university internship coordinator, academic supervisors, and university support services. This network exists specifically to help you navigate challenges during your internship experience and can provide guidance on how to handle personal issues professionally.
When personal matters do arise, the most effective approach is to communicate early and clearly with your supervisor about any support you might need. Research indicates that supervisors are better able to provide accommodation when they understand the situation and can plan accordingly (Okolie et al., 2023). Keep your communication professional and focused on how you plan to maintain your work responsibilities while managing personal challenges. This approach can lead to better outcomes than either avoiding disclosure entirely or sharing too much personal information.

Remember that seeking support when needed is not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of professional maturity. Your internship is a learning experience, and part of that learning involves developing the skills to balance professional responsibilities with personal needs. Australian workplace laws and cultural norms support this balance, and your university’s support services are there to help you navigate this aspect of professional life.

As your internship progresses, you’ll develop your own understanding of appropriate boundaries and communication strategies. The key is to remember that while personal issues can feel overwhelming, you have multiple support channels available to help you manage these challenges professionally. This support network, combined with Australia’s generally supportive workplace culture, provides you with resources that many regular employees don’t have access to.