It takes time adjusting to a new team, club, internship or workplace. Some lucky people can fall right into step with a new experience, but for the most of us it takes a little practice before we can perfect a new routine.

In a public relations agency, it’s necessary to think quickly on your feet and transition from one project, to the next, then back to that project and then on to a new one. Slowing down for a few seconds or even a few minutes to think something through or clarify the instructions feels too time-consuming and trivial. Better to just figure it out as you go along, right? Wrong. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Today, I was tasked with organizing and assembling several e-books that we use for professional development. It seemed like a simple enough assignment, but I misunderstood how the books should be organized, bound them incorrectly and needed to redo it. This was a mindless blunder on my part, and it could have easily been avoided had I clarified the instructions beforehand.

The lesson of the day? It may feel unnecessary to clarify a seemingly obvious assignment, but it’s better to ask for help than to do your work completely wrong. Take some time and ask questions. You’ll end up wasting more time redoing the project than you would have if you had asked the necessary questions before you started it.

For any readers out there looking for an internship or entry-level job, this lesson is for you! When working at my various internships, I was tentative to ask questions or clarify instructions given to me. I felt like I should already know how to do certain projects and didn’t want to look stupid for asking. This was a bad habit to develop, and it hurt my productivity today! Stop focusing on looking dumb, and start focusing on getting it right! That’s my biggest lesson today, and it’s all about the learning process, right?