At fire houses in New York City, there’s an unwritten rule for new firefighters: on your first day, “knock with your elbows.” In other words, don’t come empty handed. It’s good advice, whether you’re have to trust your life to your new coworkers or you’re starting a summer internship doing front-end development.

And instead of bringing a cake from Junior’s (a FDNY favorite) come bearing a good attitude, an open mind, and a ton of questions everyday. The value you deliver to your team can be measured in more than JIRA tickets: give them a new point of view on their users, their business, and their processes.

Show them what you’ve learned at hackathons and in your side projects. Question product motivations. Ask if you can help out on a new initiative. Introduce them to your favorite 2FA app!

It’s a little corny, but you get what you give.