Initiative: Doing useful things without being asked — spotting problems, suggesting improvements or learning ahead.
Example
You notice the setup guide is out of date, so you update it and let your mentor know.
Why Initiative matters for IT interns
Small, sensible initiative stands out. Check with your mentor before making big changes on your own.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in everyday professional communication with your mentor, manager, and team. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Escalation: Raising an issue to someone with more authority or context when it can’t be solved at your level, or when it…
- Feedback: Comments about your work or behaviour that are meant to help you improve.
- Hybrid Work: A mix of working some days in the office and some days remotely.
- Meeting Etiquette: Good habits in meetings — joining on time, coming prepared, muting when not speaking, not interrupting and…
- Ownership: Taking responsibility for your work from start to finish — testing it, following up and fixing problems —…
- Priority (in daily work): How important or urgent a task is compared with your other tasks.
Previous term: IDE | Next term: Integration Testing
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Initiative?
Doing useful things without being asked — spotting problems, suggesting improvements or learning ahead.
What is an example of Initiative?
You notice the setup guide is out of date, so you update it and let your mentor know.
Why does Initiative matter for IT interns?
Small, sensible initiative stands out. Check with your mentor before making big changes on your own.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
Browse all 199 terms
About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.