5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Internship
Last week, we shared 5 tips to help companies get the most out of their interns. This week, we wanted to turn the tables and pass on some of the lessons we learned over the summer to the rising class of future interns.
We hope that these future interns—and their employers—can learn from our insights and mistakes in order to make their internships the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences they can be.
Network
“Networking is so easy when you're an intern, but you still have to make it happen—so take advantage of it. Embrace the intern card and use it to talk with people in the company who love to help those starting their career. In all these relationships, respect is key to success!”
- Nick Cude, Cummins
“NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK: If you have free time, meet people! Opportunities sometimes arise just from setting up a meeting with someone!”
- Cole Brenchley, CVS Health Aetna
“It takes a village to have a successful internship. Let me elaborate... I feel like my internship experience was successful because I strove to involve a variety of employees into every aspect of my internship. I networked with as many people as I possibly could while still juggling my projects, and then tried to build a real relationship with each of them. The time spent chatting with each of them was time well spent because as my internship progressed I felt like I had a team of friends (or village) behind me of employees who were willing to help in whatever way possible.”
- Cali Johnson, Cummins
2. Accept ambiguity and be open to change
“One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of taking initiative even if you don't have all the answers. While it's important to ask as many questions as you need to, there are some ambiguous projects and situations that require you to take what you have and make progress with little direction. I found that frequent communication with my manager really helped me succeed in this area -- specifically showing her my progress and getting specific feedback on something tangible as opposed to asking for more directions.”
- Nick Cude, Cummins
“Be open to changes and take risks. Every 1:1 boiled down to this. When you are asked to relocate or change positions, seize the opportunity to learn. The world has so much to offer in terms of business experience, and even though it may not sound interesting now, you may be a valuable asset in the future.”
- Braeden Paskett, Ford Motor Company
“The only way to deal with ambiguity is to jump right in! I was assigned to work on a project that at first glance didn't have much direction or clarity. If I'm being completely honest, I was a little intimidated because I had no clue where or how to start. However, I learned that the best thing to do in a situation like that is to just start! Starting somewhere and trying your best goes further than you would think.”
- Cali Johnson, Cummins
3. Be proactive
“A lot of roles look the same day-to-day, and so it’s up to you to create learning opportunities and make your work exciting! That can be done regardless of what company you’re at or what role you’re in.”
- Ben Harris, Qualtrics
“BE PROACTIVE: Set goals, make plans, take charge, be an agent unto yourself to act and not be acted upon. Key things you should always be doing: ask to help, get curious (HYPER CURIOUS) i.e. I’m the subject matter expert on my team, networking. Call meetings and ask for opportunities.”
- Cole Brenchley, CVS Health Aetna
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want
“If you want something more from your job, talk to your boss about it! At the beginning of the summer I told my boss that I was looking to get more experiences and skills because I felt I had mastered everything I was already doing and I got bored. So my awesome CEO gave me a new project that required learning skills I was totally unfamiliar with. It was hard but I'm glad I did that!”
- Kyle Vorkink, Ovation
5. Don’t be afraid of data
“Data is your friend, not your enemy. Spreadsheets and databases sometimes give off the vibe that you're past the point of no return. I'm terrified of deleting an equation or drawing an inaccurate insight, and heaven forbid this costs the company thousands of dollars. But this is dramatic. I learned to rely on the data during my internship because I felt much more confident giving recommendations when I had numbers to support my ideas. Honestly, if you can do simple math, you are capable of drawing something meaningful.”
- Braeden Paskett, Ford Motor Company
