The Dos and Don’ts of Internships
For current students, recent graduates, entry-level applicants, and even experienced professionals seeking a career change, internships are a great opportunity to go beyond the classroom or personal research to develop hands-on experience in a particular field and garner new skills.
Whether you’ve successfully landed an upcoming internship or are still on the hunt for the perfect fit, be sure to keep these tips in mind:
The “dos” of internships
Relate your education to your internship and vice versa: If you’re currently in school or have recently graduated, take note of what everyday topics, issues, or projects come up throughout your internship that you have also discussed in the classroom. Making connections between the two will allow you to better understand the concepts you discuss or the work that you do. It may also be helpful to those around you to incorporate real-world examples and new perspectives related to your particular field or area of study into your work and lessons.
Explore your interests and be open-minded: Going into an internship, you may have thought you knew exactly what position you would like to see yourself in in the future. However, you may come to find that the work is not what you expected or that other areas have caught your interest instead. Throughout your internship, be sure to keep an open mind. Reach out to employees in different departments to ask about their positions in an informational interview or casual conversation and explore all areas that pique your interest.
Ask questions: Your internship can be a great chance to connect with experienced professionals in your field and even fellow interns. Use this time as an opportunity to ask questions for a better understanding of the organization or industry you are interning with or the specific position you are in.
The “don’ts” of internships
Don’t be afraid to make a mistake: Internships – like mistakes – are an opportunity to learn. If you go into your internship each day worried about doing something wrong, you may be more likely to view even the smallest mistakes as a failure. Instead, treat these mishaps as a redirection to try something different next time. Once you change your perspective, you will be less afraid to make mistakes and in the long run you will be able to grow from the obstacles you have overcome.
Don’t be unprofessional: Think of your internship as an on-going job interview. After all, your position as an intern could lead to a job offer in the future. This means you will want to remain professional at all times throughout your internship – dress appropriately, be punctual, and get your work done.
Don’t leave on a bad note: Perhaps your internship experience was not what you expected. Maybe the role you thought would be perfect for you is not the right fit after all or the organization you thought would be a dream to work for is not your ideal company. In this case, it’s important to still leave your internship on a positive note. By doing so, the connections that you met during your time as an intern will be able to speak to your professionalism and the work that you did – whether serving as a helpful addition to your network or a reliable reference for a future role.
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