How to Excel at Your Internship

Schedule

You might feel like as an intern there’s not much of an impression you can make, but that could not be more wrong.  Interns get noticed. Your boss and colleagues are following what you’re doing. They want to see if you have what it takes to become a member of the team after you graduate. That’s why companies host these internship opportunities. They want to start training you to succeed within the company and are a way for them to know that you’re a great fit for the department and the company culture.

Here are four ways that you can become a standout intern and really rock the internship so that you get an awesome recommendation letter or even land the job full-time after graduation!

Always be professional

While this may seem like common sense, it can be harder than it actually sounds. During the first few weeks of the internship you’re professional and polite because you’re excited, feel new, and don’t know anyone so you might be feeling a little shy. Naturally, our actions come across more formally. Here’s where it gets tricky though, after a few weeks of getting to know anyone, you start to become more comfortable in the workspace and you start to become friends with your co-workers. This is where it gets harder to remember to act professionally at all times. It’s ok to have fun with your coworkers, but remember that you’re at work and you never know who’s watching including someone who you might want to hire you full time after the internship. There also doesn’t have to be a difference between being professional and being enjoyable to be around and work with. The two go hand in hand. Always be polite, kind, and wear a smile on your face.

Don’t get caught up in office drama

Never let yourself get caught up in office drama. No matter where you work, there is always going to be someone who is venting about another person or is frustrated with a co-worker’s performance. Don’t get caught up in this. Don’t take sides. This is a big no even if the drama is within the other interns and you think that none of the full-time employees know about it. While you might think that they don’t know about the drama going on between the interns, they do because they’re watching the interns and how the act in the office environment. Another reason is because you never know if another intern is going to share the story with a full-time coworker. Supervisors are well aware of the employees who like to gossip or stir the pot, make sure that you’re not involved at all. Sometimes it can be hard to feel like you can remove yourself if you’re sitting in a meeting or at lunch. However, you can either ask to excuse yourself and say it’s because you have to prepare for something if you’re at lunch or you can simply disengage in the conversation. If you get asked for your opinion simply state that you prefer not to talk about it or that you haven’t experienced the same sentiments.

Ask questions

Make sure you ask questions (of course when appropriate) throughout the internship. You may think that no one wants to hear an intern’s question or you might be scared of it being a dumb question, but the truth is that your co-workers and supervisors will appreciate the questions. Questions signify to others that you’re listening and for them to get verbal confirmation that you’re listening while the other interns might be zoning out can be a huge advantage for you when it comes to being hired full-time. When you ask your questions, make sure they are always relevant to the conversation and concise.

Schedule a meeting with the director of the department

Make sure that you schedule a meeting with the director of the department you’re interning in. This may sound intimidating, but they were once in your shoes too and they’re probably in the position they’re in today because they too weren’t afraid to meet with the higher ups when they were interns. It’s important to be very delicate about scheduling this meeting. Ask your supervisor what the typical protocol is. In most companies, you will need to set up the meeting with the administrative assistant, as they are the ones who manage the calendar. Also keep the meeting short to about 15 minutes. You want to be very respectful of their time since they’re constantly in and out of meetings. You also want to have your questions prepared ahead of time.  Don’t get tempted to try to schedule multiple meetings. This looks over eager and is not the best use of his or her time. Even if you feel very comfortable with them, don’t over schedule unless he or she has specifically asked for you to come in a discuss something.

Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of interning, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to rock your next internship.

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