An internship is a required part of many college programs; even if it’s not, an internship is a great way to get a glimpse at the “real world” in the career field you’re interested in. Whether you complete your internship during the summer or during the regular school year, here are some tips to make the most of your experience:
Expect a fair share of "grunt" work. You’re an intern—making or serving coffee, going one-on-one with the file room, or doing some sort of chore that might leave you dirty, smelly, or generally unpleasant is all a part of it. Once you come to terms with the fact that you’re basically an extra pair of hands for a very busy group of people, that should make your experience that much easier.
With that in mind, ask for some real work. Once you’ve cleaned up a bit from changing the copier toner in all of the offices, ask your supervisor if there are any projects that you might be able to do completely on your own if you haven’t already been given one. This might mean cataloguing files or archives, organizing piles and piles of data, or completing that bear of a task that none of the regular staffers has had time to complete, but at the end of the day, you can feel proud that it was assigned to you, and you totally kicked butt with it!
Ask to tag along at meetings or other special events. Your supervisor should realize that you are there for some actual work experience, and that you don’t want to be slaving away every minute that you’re in the office. Ask to sit in on staff meetings or brainstorming sessions, or see if you can tag along on a client visit or some other meeting outside of the office. This is a great way to contribute your ideas, or just see how the company runs.
Take notes. You may have to write a final paper when your internship is over, so don’t forget to jot down all of the duties you were assigned—even the most menial.
If possible, save the final product of any projects you worked on. Obviously, you can’t drag the entire file room with you on future interviews. But if you worked on a design project or wrote any press materials, be sure to ask if you can have extra copies for your portfolio. No matter what you might think of your internship, be sure to list it under “Professional Experience” on that resume!
Don’t expect to get paid. A very lucky few score internships that pay. Expect to work hard, learn a lot, and not see a dime for it. That’s just the nature of internships. Typically, you can expect to receive college credit.
Sara G. Hodon - Sara G. Hodon has been pursuing a part-time freelance writing career for the past five years. She is a regular stringer for her community ...
