7 Tips for Making the Most of Internships ...

Before you start your internship, it is a good idea to work out what your goals are, and know what you want and hope to achieve through your internship! If you have taken a position in an area that you think you might be interested in for the future, an internship gives you a great opportunity to try before you buy, and pick up career tips. It may turn out that this isn’t the career for you at all, or it could make you realize just how much you want it. A well-thought-out internship could also look impressive on your resume, and enable you to pick up skills that could be useful in the future. If you have a plan before you start, you will be able to get the most out of your internship. This is a useful tip for interns!

An internship may be your first taste of work in the real world. You should always look at the bigger picture of the work that you are doing and remember that any mistakes you make could well have far-reaching implications. This is an important tip for interns, so pay heed. You won’t be expected to get it right all of the time, but if you do make a mistake, own up, apologize, and work out a plan to fix it quickly so that the mistake can be rectified. Sound advice for interns is to show your employers that you are willing to take responsibility and understand the seriousness of the work.

An internship gives you an insider view on your career of choice so make sure you pay attention to everything that is going on around you. Even things that may not directly affect you, such as meetings, will all give you a fuller picture of the work environment that you hope to be in one day! Every little detail could be important – this makes for one of the easiest tips for interns to follow - stay focused.

Your co-workers are invaluable sources of information on your career of choice and the work environment. You can tell a lot about a place of work from the office dynamics. Also, they have been in exactly the same position as you, and could have some great tips for interns! Don’t be afraid to ask them how they got started and if they have any advice for you. Ask them about difficulties they have come up against and how they overcame them. If you come across as friendly and interested, there is more of a chance of them helping you out further down the line. So bear this in mind!

It can be tempting in a big, new environment to flock together with those in the same position as you, but remember that you are there to work and to learn, and you will limit the amount of experience you can apply if you only associate with the other interns. It is good to have like-minded people to socialize with after work, but remember, internships can be competitive, so get ahead by making yourself familiar to all of the other staff, and benefit from their experience and advice.

You may feel that you have impressed during your internship but you will never really know unless you ask your boss. This is an important tip for internships! Be willing to take all forms of feedback, whether positive or negative. You could be surprised to find that you have strengths that you didn’t know about, but at the same time, take any criticisms very seriously as they could point you in the right direction of areas that you need to work on. It could be hard in the short term, but long term, it could help you make all of the improvements you need in order to be a fantastic applicant when your next job comes along!

Sometimes the simplest things make the biggest impression. Show your boss or colleagues that you really appreciate their time and help by saying thank you. Not only does it make you come across as a polite, desirable person, it shows them that you are serious about your work and that you care about the impression you give them! So make sure you apply this little tip for interns.

Following these tips for interns isn’t going to guarantee you a job, but they will certainly increase your attraction as a job candidate! Your internship can be a great entry on your resume and also provide an excellent reference. Any interns have any advice? Every tip for interns counts! We’d love to hear from you. Please comment below with any tips for internships you may have to share!

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