You walk into your first job thrilled you won’t be living off your parents this summer. Now that you have the job how do you make the most of the work environment you got yourself into?
The first week I went to the cafeteria my first time and while checking out, I stopped in line. I physically froze in place. Until that moment, I hadn’t thought about what to do at lunch. My mind raced…Where do I sit? What do I talk about?
I snapped out of my thoughts. Confidently, I made my way forward determined to make a new friend at lunch. I honed in on a guy eating taco’s in the corner. He would be my new friend! My logic was he liked taco’s, so he must be a pretty cool guy. I made eye contact and said, “Hi, would you mind if I sat here?” Tensing up he began to stutter. “I was just umm err going to leave. I’m done.”
So, I sat down alone baffled. Had I said something?
I hadn’t said something wrong, I just had said something. That was more than this guy apparently had expected.
So, how do you make the most of it?
I’ve learned engineers have trouble talking without structure. Engineers hate small talk so avoid it. Build relationships through project collaboration. Learn what they like and bring it up. Maybe that’s their “on” switch and you just made a new friend.
I have met some brilliant people at my internship. Getting them to talk, not being intimidated and not intimidating them is another story.
Girl in a Guy's World 