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Internship Experience

First week as an intern — how to make the right impression from day onE

by Hakim Zainudin·May 22, 2026

Just finished my internship. Reflecting on what I did right and wrong in week one.

What worked:
- Brought a notebook everywhere and actually took notes — signals you're serious, means you don't ask the same question twice
- Introduced myself to everyone I met, not just my direct team
- Asked "what would be most useful for you this week?" rather than waiting for tasks
- Stayed slightly past the typical end time on day one

What I'd do differently:
- Ask in week one: "How is success defined for my internship?" I only found out in week 4
- Set up 1:1s with key people proactively rather than waiting to be invited

First impressions stick. Week one is worth more effort than average.

#internship#first-week#tips#impression
234 upvotes6 comments

Comments (6)

Fuad Maslan19

I took 2 months unpaid leave to reset after 8 years of grind. It felt terrifying to request. My company approved it. Best decision of my working life.

Clara Tan13

Sabbatical policy should be standard after 5 years service. Some companies in Malaysia already offer this. It retains experienced staff better than salary alone.

Najman Azlan10

If your company doesn't offer sabbaticals, you can engineer one: extended leave, project gaps between roles, or intentional gap year between jobs.