This past week at my internship I learned a very important lesson: asking questions is okay. As someone who tends to be on the shy side, I’ve always viewed it as the end of the world to ask someone a question and risk showing the world that I don’t in fact know everything. Of course, this is no way to live, and definitely no way to behave in a business environment.

Now that I’ve had the chance to warm up to my bosses and my workplace, I’ve realized that it’s not a bad thing to ask for help—in fact, it’s encouraged. It’s okay to ask my boss to clarify what she wants me to do, it’s okay to ask the sound technician to repeat his list of requests to make sure I have them all down, it’s okay to ask the man at the hardware store for help deciphering the difference between types of chains, and it’s okay to ask a stranger on the street which way I’m supposed to turn. I’m not showing weakness by asking—everyone needs a little help sometimes, and if asking a question will help me to be better at my job in the long run, then it’s one hundred percent worth it to swallow my pride for a few moments and just ask it.

Over the past week, I’ve had to ask many questions to many different people—more than I have in any other internships in my past. But rather than this being a burden, I see it as a way for me to come out of my shell a little and to learn a valuable professional lesson. I know that because of this week, I will never be afraid to ask a question again, and that will set me apart from my peers as I apply to and advance in my future jobs.