Internships are starting. If you are doing one this summer and have not started yet, then you soon will. So get excited! I have not actually done a full internship yet, but I have started one this summer. Over my three years at Whitman and multiple visits to the Student Engagement Center, I feel like I have heard so much advice from others that I am wise enough to make an article about internship advice. Internships can be a lot of things, but no matter what...they look good on a resume so they are worthwhile. On top of that, there are a lot of lessons, skills and social capital that you can get out of an internship. You just have to realize it and get those things. Hopefully this advice I give helps you get all you can out of an internship!
First things first, make relationships with the people that you are in a job with. Whether it is the other interns or people that you are not working closely with, talk with them and be memorable enough that you are comfortable with contacting them in the future. Networking is important because most people get jobs through others, and these people around you might help you find a job or you might have a job for them in the future
Get to know as many jobs in the company as possible. It is important to find out about other people's jobs because that gives you an increased knowledge of the company that you are working for. It also helps you see what options you have in the future. At Whitman, we normally do not have much education about the different type of jobs people do so 80 percent of the jobs I see on LinkedIn are not comprehensible. So doing internships and not only understanding your job, but other people's in the workplace is vital.
Always be on time! This one is obvious, but people do not understand that being on time is actually being 10 minutes early because you want blanket time.
Don't be nervous about your job's ambiguity. Chances are many others in the office had to learn a lot while on the job, even if they had technical major such as engineering. Also, since the internship is only for the summer, you are expected to be a learner on the job anyways, not be a pro, so relax.
Don't expect your first perceptions to be your last. When I first went into my internship, I did not have a good feeling when I was in the office. But it quickly faded away when I talked to the people and realized that I was weary of the concept of a real-world job, not by the specific office or field I was working in.
Make the best out of the situation that you are in. If it is a boring internship then make sure you at least network with other people. If you are really stressed, then tell yourself at least college will seem less hard once you return.
Find other things to do that summer. It is great to not just do one big thing, but find volunteering opportunities that also might help you get experience in the real world and add some variety to your life. This rule applies even once you do get a full-time job since it is a great rule, in general, to help out your community.
Don't forget to put it on your resume.
Keep a journal. Getting an internship for the summer is a very exciting thing because it may be the first time you are getting your feet wet and trying out a full-time job. This moment will never happen again, so make sure you capture this moment! You will have a wide range of experiences so it would be a great idea to record them!
Have fun!
