Hi friends! Hope everyone’s back in the swing of things after the long weekend. We’re still recovering from the 20 hot dogs and pounds of potato salad.

Song of the day: Since we’re still sweating our butts off in this 90-degree heat, might as well throw it back to a 90s summer with LFO’s “Summer Girls.”

Have a Q for WorkDaze or the podcast? Let’s hear it here! 

How to Be a Good Boss to the Intern

Looking back on our time as interns, we were both lucky to have some pretty good mentors, except for one of Gabi’s sending her an email with the subject line “any ketchup on floor 7?”... she sat on the ninth floor.

Besides the condiment chatter, our bosses made sure our internships were a lot less about organizing the snack drawers and more about learning real-life work skills. We credit them for helping shape our work ethic and teaching us skills that we honestly still use in our careers to this day. 

We know taking an intern under your wing adds extra work to your plate, so let’s talk about some key things to help you succeed as a manager and help your intern walk away with more than just the entire office’s coffee order memorized. 

• Set clear expectations and goals: Don’t just throw them into the work chat and hope for the best. On day one, spell out what they should be doing, when it’s due, and what “crushing it” actually looks like (spoiler: it's not just refilling the coffee machine… that hasn’t been cleaned in years btw). 

• Be accessible and approachable: There’s nothing worse than seeing your boss read your message at 9:42 am and you’re still without a response come 3 pm. Let your intern know your door is always open, and they don’t have to schedule office hours just to ask how to use the copier. A chill, supportive vibe makes it way easier for them to admit they have no idea what they’re doing, and easier for you to help them figure it out.

• Recognize their contributions: Even if it’s just learning how to book a meeting room through the office’s archaic system (we still don’t know how to do it TBH). A quick “thank you” or team-wide shout-out goes a long way. Small wins deserve big hype when you’re new and mildly terrified. 

• Leave the office politics at the door: While every office has some drama, your intern doesn’t need to be dragged into it. They’re here to learn. Let them focus on tasks, not decoding who got left off the calendar invite on purpose.

Sponsored by Microsoft 365 Copilot

Meet Your Intern’s Work Bestie: Microsoft 365 Copilot

Nothing like getting an email from HR stating:

Hi, meet your new intern! You have two months to teach them everything you’ve learned in the past two years! Good luck!

Listen, don’t get us wrong, interns rock! But that doesn’t mean showing them the ropes doesn’t require additional time and effort outside of the work you’re currently drowning in. 

And from our many days of internships (unpaid at that!), we know darn well they have no idea what they’re doing when they step foot in that office with decor from the 60s for the first time. Classic corporate! 

One thing we wish we had back then? Microsoft 365 Copilot. An AI-powered tool created to help with various work tasks, tailored to your work and company. And even better than that? It’s integrated in the productivity tools you’re probably already using at work (Word, Teams, Outlook, etc.), which is why we’re excited to be partnering with them. 

According to LinkedIn, AI literacy is the most in-demand skill of 2025. But only 40% of employees say they’re familiar with AI agents. Not only can you help your intern have the edge you wish you had back then, but it’s never too late to rack up manager-of-the-summer points while you’re at it. 

Some things Microsoft 365 Copilot can help with to help your intern soar? 

• PowerPoint edits surge 122% in the 10 minutes before meetings. Using Copilot in PowerPoint can auto-generate and refine decks based on meeting agendas or previous notes.

• Most employees send/receive 50+ chats outside business hours. If it’s one thing an intern should walk away from an internship with, it’s boundaries. Copilot can draft and schedule messages for core hours to respect that work/life balance.

• Need those notes from the meeting that was put on your calendar five minutes before it started? Copilot can auto-summarize and flag follow-ups, ensuring continuity.

For the sake of you being able to tackle 39 out of 50 of those projects and give your intern the boost of confidence you wish you had back then, Microsoft 365 Copilot’s the move. 

Learn more about Microsoft 365 Copilot here.

…while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia for lunch.

A little dip in the pool with a yummy little dip by the pool? This Roasted Tomato Burrata dip with Garlic Roasted Crostinis by Carly’s Cookbook is the perfect addition to your Saturday poolside hangs. 

Looking to dissociate from the world for a bit? Catch up on the latest episodes of our podcast, Are You Mad At Me? Listen here on Spotify, or wherever else you listen to podcasts!

We’re not crying, you’re crying (okay, we’re crying!) We’re currently in our feels scrolling The Unsent Project’s Instagram… a collection of unsent text messages to first loves.

Thanks so much for reading! Hope everyone is staying cool and hydrated out there. We’ll see you next time!

—Rod and Gabi