Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
As the start of summer approaches, so do summer internships.
Starting a new internship, especially the first one, can be a daunting experience. However, internships are meant to be learning labs for students to learn in their career and build their resumes.
Here are a few tips for anyone starting a new internship:
Ask questions and take initiative
When you start a new job, there will be a lot of information you will need to learn like technology, communications and projects. Pay attention to everything your internship coordinator is telling you and take notes. But most importantly, ask questions.
Asking questions is one of the most effective ways to show your managers that you are engaged with your work and are willing to learn more.
In addition, take initiative and ask for tasks to be assigned to you, rather than waiting for something to be assigned to you. Taking initiative and asking good questions shows your willingness to work and be more involved at the company, making the internship more educational.
Talk at meetings and with coworkers
Being in a professional setting for your chosen career gives you a unique opportunity to learn from professionals in your field and learn about the work you’ll do after graduation.
Take this opportunity to talk to your coworkers, ask them about their experiences, tips for future career prospects and any doubts you may have about the job.
In addition, if you have the chance to attend meetings, take the initiative to speak up during them. Your ideas may not be implemented but talking at meetings allows you to participate with the work you do.
Keep notes
Take a note of any major projects or tasks that you accomplish to add to your resume at the end of the internship.
Furthermore, keep notes of the feedback you receive during the course of the internship, try and implement the notes in your future projects to ensure that you are not making the same mistakes repeatedly.
Keep pushing through the fatigue
Traditionally summer internships last from anywhere between 10 to 12 weeks. During that time, it is easy to get fatigued with work.
After a year of academic work, summer is the reprieve students look forward to. However, having an internship means giving up your summer to work.
The first summer without a proper summer break can be a hard adjustment but keep pushing through. Take the time to get used to your new surroundings and schedule and take time out for yourself.
It’s OK if you don’t have an internship
While it is expected for college students to have a summer internship, it is completely normal if you don’t have one.
Summer internships are highly competitive and usually companies only have one to two spots available. But don’t worry, you can still take advantage of the summer to prepare for another internship.
Firstly, keep applying for internships as they open up for the fall, the more applications you have, the better the chances of getting an internship. Keep working on your resumes and cover letters.
Secondly, do some research within your field. Reading research articles, books and autobiographies can be helpful in gaining knowledge.
