How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

Congrats! With graduation looming, you’ve nabbed a sweet summer internship that you hope will provide the experience you need to entice prospective employers when interviewing for jobs.

What I love about internships is, they are ten-week try-it-before-you-buy-it opportunities. Meaning, students – and companies – get an inside look at the company, the industry, and the type of work the job entails. A peek behind the curtain.

It’s hard for many of you to hear this but for most students, it’s not as important what you’re doing as that you are doing something related to your field. The internship should be viewed as a resume builder, especially since most students lack experience in their field of study.

Something to consider is that the entire ten-week period is an interview and review for both you and the company. The company is interviewing and reviewing you. You are interviewing and reviewing the company.  Make no mistake, though: While you can decide not to work for the company after the internship, the company has the upper hand.

So how do you make the most of your summer internship? Here are steps you can take that will help both during your internship and later, when you update your resume.

Write About It

From the moment you step foot in the door, take notes. About every, single, project or thing to which you contribute.  If you’re company is highly organized with their internship program – and some are – you may be fortunate to receive a schedule or outline of what you will be doing during the internship. Keep it.

I cannot stress enough the importance of taking notes daily.  Trust me when I say you will not remember enough details if you wait a couple weeks or, heaven forbid, until the end of the internship, to write this information down.

Numbers Matter

Companies are in business to succeed, and as a result, employers want us to quantify our achievements. How many?  Increase or decrease? Savings? Highest sales?  You get the idea.

When given an assignment, look for ways to quantify your work and successes.  This goes for individual projects or group projects. Even if you have the dubious honor of cleaning and organizing the supply room (not kidding, this could be your task), take a moment to consider the before and after. Had it been neglected for months? Years?  How many people rely on this supply room to do their jobs? How many different items are stored in the supply room? Because of your contribution, was the company able to save money since you found a stash of long-lost supplies?

It’s All in The Details

Whatever it is you work on during your tenure, note the name.  Include number of people, other departments involved, your specific role, dollar amount of project, purpose of project/strategy/expected results, any presentations you contributed to, etc.  All of this can be used when preparing your resume and/or describing your work experience during an interview.

Keep a Secret

Some of this information may be confidential, such as the project name and the exact financials.  That said, you may speak in more general terms on your resume and still get the message across.  “Customer Relationship Management Project saw an 11% increase over expected results”

Connect – Cautiously

Your internship provides a great opportunity to connect with a lot of people in the organization.  Some of you may want to jump right in and schedule coffee with the CEO.  Not so fast.

Each company has its own culture. And it takes a while to understand the rules of that culture. Break a rule, and you’re an outcast.

Important to remember: your number one job is to do a great job as intern for the person to which you’re assigned. That person will be the one writing your performance review, and may influence whether or not you receive an offer of permanent employment.

Take cues from others around you. Ask your direct supervisor to make introductions if you would like to meet another executive, and explain why. Keep in mind people are busy; if you are lucky to land a meeting keep it brief and have serious questions prepared in advance.

Presentation

Early in my career I was told two valuable pieces of information that have served me well, both related to how I present myself.  The first, “Dress for the position you want, not the one you have” followed by, “It never hurts to be the best-dressed person in the room”.

Consider how you want others to think about you.  It may be jeans-Friday everyday at the office, yet there’s still room for creative professionalism. For me, I’d wear jeans with a jacket and fun heels to make a fashionable yet professional statement.

Build Your Network

Different from trying to connect with corporate mentors, you’ll have an opportunity to meet peers during your internship. These peers have been in your shoes recently and may be happy to provide insight and even help when you begin your job search.  Be sure to develop these relationships now vs. trying to do so after you leave the company, including connecting on LinkedIn.

Worst-Case

What if your internship isn’t what you expected?  Smile and be thankful it’s only ten-weeks, that you didn’t commit to a long-term job. That’s the beauty of an internship!   The good news is that this experience is teaching you what you don’t want.  And it’s still good for your resume – it’s still experience, right?

Putting it Altogether

An internship is a great opportunity to gain experience and add to your resume.  Remember to put your best-foot forward, taking copious notes along the way.  You’ll thank yourself later when you’re updating your resume.