Reporting by Julia Walker
You’ve landed the role. You’ve networked, you’ve aced the interviews, and you’ve accepted the offer. Congrats! You have completed stage one of the internship process. The scary part is over; now, you must prepare how you will actually prove your potential to your employer.
As a college student, landing an internship is exciting, but it can seem daunting at first. In fact, employers responding to a National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) survey indicated that “when considering two equally qualified candidates for a job opening, employers give the edge to the candidate who has internship experience” (NACE).
56% of interns receive return offers from the company for which they interned (Zippia). With this in mind, naturally, students feel pressure to perform their best and secure a full-time offer.
My first internship was as an admin tax intern at a mid size accounting firm during last year’s tax season. As a transfer student, I was eager to enter into the accounting industry even during my time at community college, so I attended my school’s career fair and was able to land an internship. As an intern in this new role I was set to work during the busiest season of the year. I remember feeling anxious about embarking on this new journey.
Throughout the course of my internship, I had a great experience and learned a lot. However, there was still advice I wish I had known when I first started. For all of the women in business beginning their careers, here are 3 tips I wish I had known when I started as an intern:
1. Network, Network, & Network!
Did I mention you should network? You may have heard this word repeatedly by now. However, networking does not end once you’ve received the offer — it continues while you are interning as well. Opportunities can crop up multiple times throughout your internship experience in various situations such as social events, chatting with colleagues, and taking advantage of “buddy” programs.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
My internship was at a mid size corporate office, so promotion parties and at the end of season parties at local restaurants were part of the culture, where colleagues ate food and drank together. These are some of the best opportunities to network as everyone is much more relaxed. They also allow colleagues to socialize as everyday people so chatting with professionals is far less nerve-wracking.
This is one of the best ways to feel like a real employee of a professional company while also enjoying some fun. Besides — who can say no to free food?
Chat it Up
Another approach that is far easier and more casual is simply approaching colleagues at work to chat. You will most likely see them everyday, especially if your firm is smaller.
You can also schedule an informational interview or coffee chat with whomever you wish to talk with which demonstrates initiative and shows interest in the company.
Make a Buddy
Finally, take advantage of any buddy program or intern cohorts that may exist at your internship.
At the firm where I worked, we had a buddy program where interns were paired with an associate who would help us navigate our experience with the firm.
Buddy programs are a great way to establish a deeper connection with a team member and answer any questions you may have about the firm, your role, or about other roles in the company, even beyond your internship.
2. Show You’re Hyped
Getting an internship is a competitive process, and companies select interns from a large pool of qualified applicants. Because of this, firms want you to consistently show you are excited about the opportunity you’ve received.
Sometimes, additional tasks or projects might come up throughout the internship that were not originally listed in the intern description. These are a way for employers to get a sense of how willing to take on new tasks you are and how dedicated you are to your role.
For example, an opportunity came up for me to add mail-related duties to my job role. I wish I had jumped on this opportunity as quickly as possible. Because others beat me to this opportunity, they ultimately demonstrated more dedication and further initiative within their role.
Even taking on smaller tasks can show that you’re hyped about your internship! If someone asks for help with small tasks such as carrying items from a manager’s car or cutting cardboard boxes to fit inside the recycling bins, offering to take on the task also demonstrates dedication and commitment because it shows that you take everything about your role seriously.
Although it may seem overwhelming to accept another task on top of everything else you are tasked with as an intern, saying “yes” and committing as soon as you are offered the opportunity demonstrates both initiative and flexibility, which many companies look for in a full-time candidate.
So the next time you’re offered an extra task, say yes!
3. Journal Your (Intern) Life
Always keep a record of tasks you have completed each day. It may seem easy to remember what you accomplished in your mind, but having a concrete set of points you recorded throughout your time as an intern is much more reliable.
I knew I’d learned so much through my tasks and gained so many software skills throughout my time at my internship, but when it came to remembering what I did later, I had to rely purely on memory to remember all of the software names. Because I hadn’t recorded what I’d learned, I had to rely on the general job description when I could’ve gone into greater depth about what I’d actually achieved on my resume and when speaking to future employers.
Journaling your tasks can help you reflect on your accomplishments and their relevance to your career goals. For example, if you learn a set of tasks using a particular software, write it down in as much detail as soon as you can so you can use this information later in a job hunt.
This list can also be used when discussing with managers about what you have completed, which can be helpful during important discussions such as salary negotiations or asking about further opportunities within the company.
Don’t forget to record your accomplishments at your internship!
As you prepare for your internship experience, you may feel a mixture of pressure and excitement. It’s your first chance to gain experience as a working adult and demonstrate your potential. By remembering to find creative ways to network, showing your excitement, and recording all of your accomplishments throughout your time, you are well on your way to becoming a great intern!