Internships are an incredible learning experience where as
an intern, one learns so many new skills, builds up their resume with amazing
experience and have a great opportunity to network with people working in their
field. Most importantly, it is a time to get their feet in the door at a
company they are really interested in and increasing their chances of landing a
full-time job after they finish college.
The intern therefore needs to really impress. They should
go the extra mile over the few weeks they are in that company to impress the
boss because they never know what doors it may open in the future. You have
to leave your mark.
First and foremost you as an intern MUST Be a Go-Getter. Start working before you start working. If there is any reading, prep work, or research that you should do, go
ahead and do it. This ensures that you are on the same page with the rest of
the workers and that you can hit the ground running.
You need also to spend
some time before you start the internship setting goals that you want to accomplish.
Whatever your goals, you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment once you achieve
them.
Once you are in,
learn to create an immediate and lasting strong impression. Appropriate professional
attire, impeccable punctuality, excellent attendance, respect for general work place
decorum, and meeting deadlines and carrying out responsibilities in timely ways
are expectations in any professional workplace.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions because this internship is a learning
experience for you. You should also prove that you are smart by always
asking good questions. Asking good questions shows that you are
both pushing yourself to learn more and are capable of thinking about
the company, your team, and its goals and challenges at a higher level.
Consider yourself an
integral part of the team, and with everything you contribute, remember
that your involvement is playing a critical role in helping the team as a whole
achieve their objectives.
Tackle all tasks assigned
to you with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. The quickest way to kill a good
internship is being negative.
So, avoid complaining, being rude,
disrespecting co-workers, being closed‐minded, appearing arrogant, acting unprofessionally,
appearing inflexible, and taking part in office politics. You also might consider
working extra hours (beyond the required number for the internship) to show your
work ethic to your supervisor(s).
Capitalize on the
opportunity to meet as many new people as you can -- classmates at school,
co-workers at internships -- particularly in other majors or departments. You
will be surprised how many of these people you will someday work with, start a
company with -- or who will otherwise support you. In this day and age, your
net worth is impacted significantly by your network. It’s not just the
size, but also the quality of that network. Build professional relationships
with your supervisor(s) and other managers in the organization. These people
are also a good source for getting other job-hunting advice and tips from their
years of experience.
If people asked me
to quickly rattle off a few qualities of a great intern the first things that
would come to mind are enthusiastic, eager, and proactive. Being proactive
is not just doing what is asked of you – it is also about going many steps
beyond that. Finish up an assignment and ask for a new one. Meet someone in the
office outside of your team and ask to learn more about what they do. Just
observing, and sitting in on a meeting or conference call will teach you a ton
about what day-to-day looks like in your industry.
No matter how small
the task you have, write it down, ask for details, smile… even if you’re
running an errand, take it seriously. Even the little things that seem
trivial can have a big impact on a business. Being on time and staying on later than expected will show your boss how
committed you are to doing a really good job. It is these employees’
that are willing to sacrifice their own time by working overtime that get
noticed.
If you really want
to be taken seriously by your boss, then you need to treat your internship
like it is a real job. Even though you are an intern, your work will still
have some form of an impact on the company, so make sure it is good.
Don’t be afraid to push
yourself and take on some responsibilities that go beyond your job description.
This is your time to shine and learn as much as you possibly can, so rather
than limiting yourself to the tasks set out in the job description, use it as a
starting point.
One of the key
things to being really successful at your internship will be finding a
mentor who will support you, show you the ropes and, most importantly, that
you will be able to learn from and ask for advice. Having a good mentor will
make your transition from student to employee much easier and a lot less
stressful.
Always pay great attention to the details. A few mistakes here and there are par for the
course, but consistently having errors is not great. As tempted as you may be
to turn something in quickly, don’t rush through your work. Quadruple-check
everything.
Take Initiative. Employers love employees who dive into tackling tough problems and who
think ‘outside the box’ in finding solutions but make sure you work with your
supervisor(s) so you don’t overstep your authority.
Save social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram
etc) for your lunch break. Unless
your job involves working with social media, stay off it and focus on why you
are there. Remember, social media isn’t going anywhere and it will be there
when you are on your own time, not your company’s.
In the end of it
all, just take feedback and adjust. It is good to note that none
of us is ever perfect. As you hand in a project ask yourself this
question; “What are the things I did well and what could I have done
differently.” If you actually go through
a whole internship doing a certain quality of work but only hear the feedback
at the end, you will have lost your chance to wow your team and the company.
Catch something early on? You can quickly adjust and get better every week.
Leave with Tangible Accomplishments. One of your goals with any internship is
leaving it with some tangible results – both for your resume and your career
portfolio (if you use one). Maybe you developed a brochure, computerized an
inventory system, organized a sales conference, met with clients, tracked
industry trends, etc.
Get as Much Exposure as Possible. Some of the best internships rotate you
among departments and supervisors, but if yours doesn’t, don’t let that stop
you from tackling new tasks, meeting people outside your department, and
attending company social events. The more you are exposed to new ideas and new
people, the more you’ll learn.
Enjoy Yourself. Most internships are great experiences, so make sure you have some fun
while you’re working and learning. Don’t be so uptight that you are perceived
as something you are not.
There you have it. Those
tips will set you on track to being the best intern you can possibly be. Keep
these things in mind and be a consistent support and asset to your team and you
will go from simply being an intern to someone the team cannot live without and
wants to hire one day.