There comes a time in every young adult’s life when a summer becomes less of a time for extravagant vacations and summer camps and more of an opportunity to prepare yourself for that looming and quickly approaching nightmare called the real world. That’s right—most jobs are looking for a bit of past experience from applicants, and if you want a job right out of college then internships are the way to go. Internships are so great for so many reasons. They can teach you a lot about the job field you eventually want to enter. If there is one thing I have learned from my internship this summer, it’s that any and every internship experience is as good as you make it. So, here are just a few tips that can help you make the most of your summer internship.
1. Take daily notes. As you go through your work day, keep a log or journal of what you’re doing each and every day. Write down what you like doing, what you don’t like doing, or even what you wish you could be doing. You might think you’ll be able to reflect on your experience, but I can assure you that it is even better to have a day-to-day log to look back on.
2. Always be doing something. Every internship is what you make it. So, if you want to be sitting at a computer and watching Netflix while you wait for someone to ask you for a cup of coffee, be my guest. However, you want to make a good impression so take the initiative and get involved with as much as you can. Ask your boss if there is anything you can be doing when you start to feel you have too much time on your hands. You’ll learn a lot and impress your co-workers and bosses with your eagerness and drive!
3. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Those meetings and conferences that you’re asked to sit in on are a great opportunity to speak your mind, throw out some of your own ideas and really show to everyone that you’re already confident in your abilities and that you’ve got some great ideas to contribute!
4. Every moment is a learning opportunity. Don’t let any moment pass by without soaking up all the information you can from the experiences you’re having at your internship. Ask any and all questions. This internship, and any internship for that matter, gives you a chance to take what you’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to the real world.
Internships can be a scary thing but they’re also the best. Life is coming at us fast and it’s time we all buckle down, refuse to be the coffee runner, and show these big company hotshots just what we’ve got to bring to the table.
