Office & Social Dynamics ☕

The technical work is only half the internship. The other half is the humans. Get this right and doors open. Get it wrong and you’ll be forgettable.

Coffee chats (yes, you should be doing them)

• Aim for 1 coffee chat per week with someone outside your immediate team.
• Message like: “Hey [Name] — I’m interning on [team] and would love to hear about what you do. Could I grab 15 min for a coffee (or virtual coffee)?”
• Almost everyone says yes. People love talking about their work.
• Before the chat, look at their LinkedIn / profile. Have 2 questions ready.
• After, send a short thank you.

Team lunches, drinks, socials

• Go to the first few, even if you’re introverted. It matters more than you’d think.
• You don’t have to drink. “I’m on the sparkling water tonight” is a full sentence.
• Two-drink rule at work socials. Whatever your usual limit is, subtract two.
• If you don’t get invited to something — don’t panic, don’t take it personally, don’t stew. Ask casually: “Hey, is there a team lunch thing? Would love to join if there’s room.”

Small talk (it’s a skill, not a personality trait)

Easy openers that always work:

• “How’s your week going?”
• “What are you working on at the moment?”
• “Been up to anything nice on the weekend?”
• “What brought you to [company]?”

You don’t need to be witty. You need to be interested. Ask, listen, ask a follow-up.

Building relationships without being sycophantic

• Notice things and mention them: “Loved your presentation last week — the framing at the start really clicked for me.”
• Offer help before you ask for it: “I’ve got some capacity — anything I can pick up?”
• Follow up on things people mentioned: “How did your kid’s football tournament go?”

Real relationships > networking. Everyone can spot the difference.

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