6 ways to help students make the most of an internship

“It’s important to do your homework,” says Vicki Salemi, author of Big Career in the Big City. Before students apply for an internship, encourage them to read through the job description and do some internal soul searching. “Ask yourself what you want to get out of it,” Salemi says. “A cool summer experience? Skills in a particular area? Awesome contacts and recommendations for a future job?” Before students accept an internship, they should know what they want to achieve.

While interning as a writer at The Longmont Times-Call and as a media relations assistant at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Kendall Schoemann learned that being proactive is the key to a positive internship experience.

“When you have free time, ask what else you can do to help,” Schoemann says. Your supervisors will appreciate your assistance and your positive attitude.Plus, students will learn more by staying active and engaged on the job.

“Once you’ve shown your professional abilities, try to get to know your co-workers and bosses on a more personal level,” Schoemann suggests. “In my experience, TV shows work great—something to talk about every week.”Polite small talk can help build meaningful connections for the future. “When people know more about you, they will remember and recommend you,” Schoemann says.

It’s important to keep in touch with co-workers. They may be able to help find a job or provide a helpful reference.Salemi suggests sending a thank-you note after your internship is complete. Holiday cards are also a nice touch.

“Add your internship contacts on social media like Linkedin,” Schoemann says. So even if co-workers switch jobs or change their email address, you’ll still be able to reach out to them later on. 

If students are stuck with boring, mindless tasks, encourage them to get involved with other projects. Make sure they don’t remain silent about it.“Approach your supervisor and tactfully indicate you were hoping to have hands-on experience in XYZ, so perhaps you can sit in on a meeting or volunteer for more meaningful work,” Salemi says. 

Have students write down a list of the projects they’ve worked on, so they can easily add them to a resume later. Also encourage students to save recommendations from supervisors or emails that commend work ethic and performance. “Not only is it good to show other people your accomplishments, but keeping track of them totally boosts the ego!” Salemi says. “It’s great for confidence building.”