The Do’s and Don’ts of a Summer Intern Romance
Summer internships are a brief, golden time that you’ll remember forever as you move through the subsequent stages of your life. You’ll never forget the thrill of landing in New York for the first time – whether you fly in during the day or night – or the incomparable adrenaline rush you feel upon hitting the streets of New York City. Plus, the friends and mentors you meet during these intense summer months on the job are likely to last long after the internship is over.
But that may not apply to a summer intern romance. And since these weeks may be the most important two-to-three months of your career, we collected a few dos and don’ts from young professionals who have “been there, done that,” that are worth considering as you head into a summer internship in NYC.
Not Like Summer Camp
Summer camp is all about getting away from home and jumping into experiences that are mostly about meeting new people, lots of fun and games, unplugging from the digital world and challenging yourself with lots of physical activity. Summer camp counselors insure you play well with others and try keep the hanky-panky to a minimum. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but counselors try to derail fraternizing – at least between campers!
Your summer internship is also about meeting new people, but no one is likely to police your hook-ups. And if you take up with another intern and aren’t careful – you’ll wind up on HR radar and might compromise your career opportunities – says the Intern Queen, who offers pointers and how to’s when it comes to dating during a summer internship.
Summer internships are not about fun and games – not that you won’t have fun, but you’re there to work, make professional connections and an outstanding impression. On your bosses. Not on that cute guy or girl you keep running into at the copy machine!
The Taint of Romance
That’s the problem with an office romance – people see it as the opposite of professionalism and assume you’re more interested in a summer fling than getting a job offer.Let’s say you find yourself irresistibly drawn to another intern. You decide to keep the romance a total secret from EVERYONE and work your tail off to prove you’re all about your summer internship. Then one day you let slip an inadvertent PDA. Goodbye yellow brick road.
You want to be taken seriously and not become the focus of intra-office gossip in the break room because of a stolen kiss. Romance can taint your reputation and ruin an early shot for career success, so if you can’t control yourself during business hours – don’t get involved!
Dos and Don’ts
The best takeaways come from the Fairy God Boss and include consulting the employee handbook about any policies about dating co-workers and the ultimate advice: never date a superior. You might think you’re equals, but no one in the office is going to see it that way and it could negatively impact your future.
When It’s Inevitable
Her Campus declares the obvious: feelings are feelings and the best play when you have them is to keep the relationship under wraps and outside the office.
But that’s not exactly what happened when Wharton and Engineering (Penn M&T) student Daniel began his summer internship at Facebook. He wasn’t looking for love. He figured he’d be working way too many hours to pick up girls, inside or outside the office. But as luck would have it, he met Elana, a Harvard student and they didn’t just work well together, they fast became boyfriend and girlfriend. What started out as a working collaboration became a summer romance and then a long-distance relationship.
Sometimes it works out, right?
You might recall that Barack Obama met Michelle Robinson during a summer internship, and look what happened there? Two daughters and a presidency later, you have to think a summer intern romance, kept under wraps, can’t be all bad!
Serious About Your Stay in NYC
To get the most out of your summer internship in New York City, check out our summer intern apartments at three locations around the city. With activities and amenities included, intrnz aims to make your summer experience unforgettable.
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