Landing an internship in a field you’re passionate about is a great first step. Next, you need to make sure you maximize the experience to gain valuable skills, contacts, and even the opportunity to work at the company in the future. Here are some tips to guide you.
1. Ask for Feedback
Although no one enjoys receiving negative feedback, the only way to improve is to learn from your mistakes or to find out where you could do better. Asking for feedback and acting on it will also show your manager that you want to do your best, which makes a good impression. Plus, it’s likely that much of the feedback you’ll receive will be positive, which will give you a confidence boost.
2. Volunteer to Be More Involved
Your manager may be careful not to give you too much work. If you feel that you can handle more, ask for the chance to be involved in more activities. You may want to observe meetings, or there could be a project that interests you that you’d like to play a role in.
3. Meet Other People at the Company
Use the time at your internship as a chance to network. Go beyond building relationships with the people you work with by also reaching out to other people at the company. It may even be worth setting up meetings with some of these people to ask them if you can provide them with any support. Doing this, you’ll have many useful contacts that could lead to opportunities in the future by the end of your internship.
4. Make Your Goals Clear
If you’re interested in working for the company after you graduate, make this clear. Since not all students want to work at the places where they intern, your employer won’t know that this is your goal unless you communicate it. Before you finish the internship, ask about job openings or even present your case as to why you’d be a top choice for a position you know is available.
5. Save Some of Your Earnings
If you’re lucky enough to find a paid internship, take advantage of the opportunity to build up some savings. Decide how much you’ll let yourself spend (to ensure you still have a fun summer) and keep the rest. You could create an emergency fund, pay off some debt, or save money to have extra to spend next semester. One way to ensure you don’t overspend is to choose a couple of activities you enjoy the most and cut down on expenses that are less important to you.
Most students take internships over the summer. Although this means work won’t interfere with your studies, you will need to find somewhere to live, as the dorms on campus will be closed. You can find Queens University student housing at Foundry Princess. When you return home at the end of the day, you’ll be able to relax in your private bedroom, spend time with other students in places like the community clubhouse, or cool off in our outdoor swimming pool. Apply for your spot now.
