Useful
Professional Internship – Become a Super Intern!
As autumn and the new semester approach, if you're an upperclassman, it means it's almost time to start your internship. The decision is easy, but finding the ideal place for your internship, then evolving into a regular employee, is much more challenging. With more students in university environments, especially in popular fields, you must compete for the best spots. Now is the time to become a super intern, not seeing the internship as a failure or a temporary phase but as the first step in your career.
If It’s an Internship, It’s Okay to Wait!
If delaying your internship won’t cause you to fall behind, it might be wise to wait and watch. Here’s why: the competition for the best spots is fierce, and it’s great if you don’t settle for less. Start exploring offers and pay attention to the requirements set by employers. If your desired internship requires skills you don’t yet possess, wait it out! Look for an internship half a year later and use that time to develop yourself. This works especially well if certain software or online program knowledge is required, but you don’t have time to learn it before the internship application deadline. Maximize these missing skills, and by the next round, you’ll start with a significant competitive advantage.
What Do You Know About Your Internship Place?
Did you research the company or just get excited because there’s an open internship spot in your field? If it’s the latter, do some digging! You can learn a lot about the company’s goals and strengths from its website. Often, you can even find photos and short introductions of future colleagues. The point is to know the values the company stands for before the interview, so you can reflect on them.
An Internship Is Not a Playground
Companies hire interns so that they can experience and test the profession in a practical setting before graduating. Gaining experience means more to them than just having you come in to chat and make coffee. Take the tasks assigned to you seriously, but this doesn’t mean you need to know everything right away. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and turn openly to more experienced colleagues! You become a true super intern during your internship by being willing to acknowledge your mistakes and shortcomings but always eager to learn from them.
Do Your Homework – Within Limits!
If you’re currently doing your internship, you’ve probably heard your supervisor say, “Look this up at home.” Take this advice seriously: sometimes, you need to develop yourself outside of work hours. However, if you start feeling overwhelmed and are given too much off-the-clock research, let your supervisor know! Emphasize work-life balance even during your internship.
Coffee Making During Internship? Move On!
You might think you’ve landed the best internship ever. You battled through multiple rounds of interviews and test assignments and were successfully hired. However, you soon discover that instead of challenging tasks, you’re only expected to do administrative work or make coffee, even though you're capable of more. If, despite your requests, you're not given substantive, challenging tasks, don't be afraid to move on! The essence of an internship is to gain valuable, practical knowledge in your field before graduation. It’s a waste to stick around in places where this isn’t offered. Submit your resume somewhere else where you can be treated as a super intern!
We strive to collect favorable internship positions weekly for Y Students. Take a look at our Professional Career Program offers and secure the best internship spots before the semester starts!
