WORK TIPS | Intern advice

Top 10 tips for interns:
1. Don't be afraid to talk with people. People are sometimes too busy to roll out the red carpet so you have to make the first move if you want to talk with co-workers and supervisors.
2. Ask for things to do. Solving problems and taking initiative are the best ways to stand out from the crowd.
3. Learn all you can about the industry. Talk with people in different departments, as well as clients and vendors.
4. Read everything you can get your hands on. Reading contracts, letters, memos, press releases and trade publications will inform you on all elements of the business.
5. Don't gripe about the grunt work. How long you do grunt work depends on what you make of it.
6. Milk the fact that you are a student. As a student, you aren't threatening and might have more access and opportunities than a full-time employee.
7. Hitch your wagon to a star. Learn from the people who are the superstar performers and most respected individuals in the office.
8. Get in the information loop. Decisions aren't always made in a conference room.
9. Ask to attend meetings and events. You will learn how things really get done.
10. Don't burn any bridges. You never know when you will need someone later in your career.
-- Bradley Richardson, author of "JobSmarts for TwentySomethings" (Vintage, $15)