What to Do in the First Week of Your Internship

What to Do in the First Week of Your Internship

The first week of your internship is disproportionately important. Research on workplace impression formation consistently shows that initial impressions are formed within the first 5–10 interactions and are remarkably persistent. In Singapore's professional context — where hierarchy, deference, and relationship norms carry cultural weight — this first week demands deliberate intentionality.

Before Day 1

Prepare your logistics:

• Confirm your start time, location, dress code, and whom to report to
• Test your commute route the day before — arriving late on Day 1 is a poor start that is remembered
• Bring physical copies of your IC/passport, bank account details (for payroll setup), and any documents your HR onboarding email mentioned

Research the company: Read everything relevant in the week before starting: their latest annual report (or equivalent public communication), any recent news coverage, their LinkedIn company page, and the LinkedIn profiles of your manager and immediate team. You do not need to be an expert — you need enough context to have a meaningful conversation.

Set a clear personal goal for the first week: What do you want to understand by end of Day 5? Suggested goal: understand the team's core objective, your role within it, and the name and role of every person you will interact with regularly.

Day 1: First Impressions

Arrive 10–15 minutes early. Not 30 minutes — that creates awkwardness for the person who has to manage your early arrival before they are ready. 10–15 minutes is ideal.

Dress appropriately. Singapore corporate dress code varies significantly:

• Investment banks, law firms, government agencies: Business formal (or business formal on Day 1 regardless of stated dress code, until you see what colleagues actually wear)
• MNCs, Big 4: Business casual is standard
• Tech companies and startups: Smart casual is typically fine; do not overdress to the point of looking out of place

When in doubt, dress one level above what you think is needed on Day 1. You can calibrate down once you see the environment.

Greet people with genuine warmth. In Singapore's professional culture, a measured warmth is appreciated — not aggressive American-style enthusiasm, not cold formality. A firm handshake, direct eye contact, and a genuine smile is the right register.

Use formal titles initially. "Mr Tan", "Ms Wong", "Dr Lim" — use formal titles and last names until the person explicitly invites first-name use. At MNCs and tech companies this is often immediately ("just call me David"), but at local banks, law firms, and government agencies, formal titles persist longer.

The People Map: Who to Meet and How

Your Week 1 goal is to know the name, role, and basic function of every person in your immediate working environment.

Priority people to meet in Week 1:

1. Your direct manager — the most important relationship. Request a 30-minute meeting in your first week to align on expectations, deliverables, and communication style.
2. Your assigned buddy or mentor (if the company has assigned one)
3. Your immediate team members — the people whose desks are near yours or who you will collaborate with regularly
4. HR contact — know who to go to for administrative questions so you do not waste your manager's time on them
5. The IT helpdesk — know how to get technical support if systems fail

How to introduce yourself: Keep it brief and specific: "Hi, I'm [Name], I'm interning with [Team/Function] for [duration], working on [brief description]. I'm looking forward to learning from the team." Do not give your entire academic CV. One or two sentences.

Questions to Ask in Your First Week

The questions you ask in Week 1 signal your intellectual curiosity and professionalism. Prepare five to ten questions across the following categories:

About the business:

• "What is the team's primary objective for this quarter/year?"
• "Who are the team's main internal clients or stakeholders?"
• "What does success look like for this function?"

About your role:

• "What would a successful internship look like to you at the end of [X] weeks?"
• "Are there specific deliverables you want me to prioritise?"
• "Are there any constraints or considerations I should know about before starting?"

About the organisation:

• "How does this team interact with [other division or team]?"
• "Are there any internal presentations or meetings I should try to attend to understand the business better?"

About culture:

• "What's the best way to communicate with you day-to-day — email, Teams, or dropping by?" (This question alone signals social intelligence — it adapts to your manager's preferred communication style rather than imposing your own.)

Questions to avoid in Week 1: anything about salary, time off, or the possibility of a full-time offer. Save these for later in the internship.

Singaporean Office Culture Norms

Singapore's office culture is shaped by a mix of East Asian hierarchy norms and Western corporate practices. A few specific considerations:

Lunch etiquette: Lunch in Singapore offices is a genuinely social event. If colleagues go out for lunch together, accept the invitation — this is prime informal relationship-building time. Bringing your own food and eating at your desk while working may signal anti-social tendencies. If you are on a budget, hawker centre meals near the office are perfectly acceptable and culturally normal.

Hierarchy and deference: Senior people speak first in meetings; more junior employees listen more than they speak, especially in larger group settings. This does not mean interns are invisible — asking a well-timed, relevant question in a meeting is noted positively. But unsolicited opinions in front of the whole team in Week 1 are typically premature.

WhatsApp and group chats: Many Singapore teams communicate via WhatsApp groups alongside formal channels. If you are added to a team WhatsApp group, observe the tone and frequency before contributing — match what you see others doing.

Late-night messages: Some Singapore managers send messages late at night or on weekends. You are not expected to respond immediately outside working hours unless the company culture clearly indicates otherwise. A morning response is generally appropriate. If in doubt, ask your manager about response expectations.

Dress code for client meetings: If you know you are attending a client meeting in your first week, dress one level more formally than your usual office dress. Client-facing days warrant business formal in most industries regardless of internal dress code.

Setting Up Your Week 1 Deliverable

Even in Week 1, try to produce something — even if small. A brief summary of what you learned in an onboarding meeting, a preliminary analysis, a compiled list of resources with annotations. Producing something early signals initiative and gives your manager concrete evidence of your capabilities.

Do not wait to be told what to do. If the pipeline of formal deliverables has not started yet, ask: "While I am onboarding, is there any reading or preliminary work I can do to get up to speed faster?"

End of Week 1 Self-Assessment

By Friday of your first week, evaluate:

• Do you know the name and role of every person on your immediate team?
• Do you understand the team's core objective and your role within it?
• Have you had a one-on-one with your manager and aligned on expectations?
• Have you completed or made meaningful progress on any first deliverable?
• Have you made a positive first impression on at least two people beyond your direct manager?

If any of these are not yet resolved, week 2 is your catch-up window. The first month is recoverable. But the work you put into Week 1 pays dividends for the entire placement.