How to Make the Most Of Your Internship
With the summer off from school, some people may see this as the perfect time to pursue an internship. As you probably already know, internships are incredible tools that acclimate you to the workforce and expose you to potential future careers. Doing an internship can set you up for success in the future. If you do a good job, the company will be more likely to remember your name and consider hiring you after graduation.
So, if you’re wondering how to get the best out of these opportunities, here are some tips to help you out.
1. Be introspective and learn about the industry.
Now that you have been given the opportunity to work in your field of choice, take advantage of it! You won’t truly know if this will be a potential long-term career for you unless you take the time to learn all about it. Don’t just learn what you have to do as an intern, but also learn what responsibilities other positions have. If you have the opportunity to do this, shadow your coworkers and see what they are required to do in a day. You never know if you’ll be in their shoes one day in the future and getting familiar with the job early on can give you a leg up.
Also just learn more about the company you’re working at in general. Do you like the environment that you are working in? Does your company have high levels of diversity or are their levels low? How are the employees treated by management? Asking yourself these questions can allow you to figure out how you would truly enjoy this path. Become friends with your coworkers.
2. Become friends with your coworkers.
Okay, we know that making friends can be very difficult (especially if your internship is only held online). However, getting closer to the people you work with can definitely improve your time there. In the short-term, you will have someone to bond with during your long days of work. Time passes much quicker if you have someone by your side.
However, if you play your cards right, you might end up with connections that can last you a lifetime. Who knows? The friend that you met while getting coffee in the breakroom could be the very person who helps you land your dream job in the future.
If you’re blanking on ways to help you make those close connections to your coworkers, I recommend playing a game with them. “Two Truths and a Lie” can be a fun icebreaker game that can teach you interesting and funny stories about your coworkers’ lives.
3. Stay on top of your tasks.
As with everything in life, staying organized is the major key for your success in an internship. If you struggle with keeping yourself organized (don’t worry, I do too), I recommend starting off by taking notes during your meetings. It can keep you focused on everything around you and will keep you from going on your phone.
I also recommend that you keep a to-do list to keep track of all the tasks that you are supposed to complete. You can do this on your notes or calendar app and set up notifications for when things are due. Some people prefer to keep a master to-do list, which contains every single task that they are supposed to complete that day or week. However, others prefer to create multiple to-do lists that are separated by different objectives (ex. work, school, personal goals). Use whatever method works the best for you and make sure to stay communicative with your team as you work through your to-do list(s).
Lastly, keep your workspace tidy, whether you are working in-person or at your desk at home. A messy space can make you not want to focus, which is not the energy that you want to bring to your internship.
The worst thing that you can do is simply see your internship as a means to an end. If you make the most out of the opportunity that you have been given, you will be well on your way to securing a career in the future.
Written by Kalijah Rahming
