How to get the Most out of Your Internships

An internship provides a valuable opportunity for you to gain work experience and to jumpstart your career — if you play your cards right.

Internships are more than just stepping stones to your first official full-time position. It is also a great way to build on your working experience and skills, whilst giving you an idea of what the job will be like, and if it will be a good fit for you.

Moreover, do well enough and you might increase your chances of being offered a permanent position with them after graduation. With this in mind, you should strive to do your best to apply what you have learnt in school to this internship.

Making the most of this experience does not necessarily mean needing to excel at every single task. What matters here is your attitude and how you approach your work. Here are some guidelines on how you can make the most of your internship experience.

Do your research well

Set goals for yourself Treat it like a job

While you may be tempted to hit that ‘apply’ button for every internship role that sounds vaguely relevant to your course of study, that is not wise as you could end up in an internship that does not suit you. Read through each job description and what the responsibilities entail carefully before applying. Make sure that they align with your own career goals as well as provide ample opportunities for you to develop the skills you want for your dream job.

If at any point you feel unsure about what a particular internship role involves, you can always check with the Career Development Centre, consult your seniors or do your own research. Be especially meticulous about this — the last thing you want is to be stuck for several months in an internship that does not meet your needs.

Ultimately, be sure to familiarise yourself with the company you are applying to. Skimming through their website or social media is not enough — go through the company’s values, vision and mission statements as well. This should help you get a better feel of the company’s direction, and if it reflects your own values.

The moment the offer letter is signed and settled with, start preparing yourself for what comes next. Ask yourself first what goals you want to achieve during this internship. Writing down these objectives is the first step to visualising how you are going to make the most out of your internship.

However, rather than setting large, vague goals (such as ‘I want to be successful here’), start with smaller, more concise ones. You can start by defining what success means to you and work up from there. For example, if you are interning at an architecture firm, success might mean that the projects you are involved in meet the standards and objectives of your clients. It includes being able to tackle challenges as they pop up, which range from rapid urbanisation to transportation planning.

Having solid targets allows you to be clear on what you want to achieve. With a clear direction to work towards, this will also help you stay focused, thus in turn boosting your productivity. With that being said, however, remember that it is perfectly acceptable to adjust your goals as the internship progresses.

While interns tend to enjoy a little more leniency when it comes to making mistakes, an internship is still a serious commitment. Moreover, by having you onboard, the company is also placing trust in you to contribute to the team. As such, you should treat it as though it is a full-time job. Take every task seriously, and do it to the best of your capabilities.

The internship may just be for a few months, but you should still immerse yourself into the company’s culture. This can later help you determine the kind of environment that best suits you when you apply for a full-time position later on.

Bring the right attitude to work

In every new work environment comes new challenges — and this will be no different. As a newcomer, remember that making mistakes is also part of the learning process. Rather than being hung up on them, learn from those mistakes and bounce back.

In addition, the main goal of an internship is to gain as much experience as you can, so strive to learn something new whenever you can. You can consider approaching your colleagues (whether from other departments or your own) and see if they can provide you with more insights about the industry or the company itself.

Above all, stay flexible and adaptable to changes. If something does not go as planned, acknowledge it and be open to other solutions. Your colleagues and supervisors know that you are keen to learn, so do not be afraid to approach them for feedback or guidance when you need it.

Develop your professional connections

Having a professional network is important for any career professional, and it is never too early to start developing it. Throughout your internship, you might meet people who may become your future superiors, or colleagues who can refer you for opportunities, whether via word-of-mouth or through future connections. In short, having friends, allies and good connections will only bring you positive results, so getting to know your colleagues is a good idea.

A good, quality network takes time and effort to nurture, so be sincere about wanting to spend time with them. It does not need to involve grand gestures either — a simple chat or coffee or lunch will do.

Exit gracefully

As your internship comes to a close, ask your supervisors if they would be willing to vouch for your contributions, or even provide you a letter of recommendation or LinkedIn recommendation. You can also consider asking your co-workers to endorse you on LinkedIn for the skills you displayed or picked up on the job. The connections you made here might just be your ticket to your dream career in the future.