Although the season of summer still has a few weeks to go, the reality of summer is quickly coming to an end. Leases are up, flights are booked and the final days of seasonal internships are within sight. With the countdown to the end beginning, there are five things left on every top intern’s to-do list in order to make sure they didn’t waste there summer.
1. Finish What You Started.
After all the late night office hours and coffee runs, it’s time to kick back and ride out these last few weeks, right? Wrong. The last few weeks of your internship are crucial. Most importantly, they consist of the final impressions you leave with not only your boss, but the entire company.
Continue to work hard, show initiative and prove to everyone around you that this opportunity continues to mean something to you. Even if this now means arriving to work early (which you should already be doing) or branching out to the other members of the company during otherwise previously awkward elevator rides. In a nutshell: by solidifying yourself as an asset to the company demonstrates to others how easily you would fit in if you were hired. And with great personal PR like that, it won’t be long before human resources takes notice too.
2. Fine Tune Your Resume
During the last few weeks are the perfect time to update your resume. Not only are your accomplishments of the summer are still fresh in your mind, but it will be easier to compose knowing you will still have time to edit it before you submit it for another opportunity. Make sure to include active verbs like “coordinated” or “facilitated.” Anything is better than boring, old “helped.”
3. Meet With Your Boss.
Arrange a meeting with your internship boss or team a few weeks before your internship ends. Assure him/her/them that you have been learning a lot these past couple of months, but would like some more feedback on what you could be doing better to ensure you get the most out of these last weeks. Do you communicate enough? Is there another way of doing something that could be completed more efficiently? Needless to say, they’ll like that you took the initiative to improve conditions around the office and grateful for your dedication.
4. And On That Note…Letters of Recommendation.
If you feel you have earned a letter of recommendation after your internship, stop and consider these few points: Have you put as much as you possibly could into this internship? Have you completed each task to its highest degree? Could you see your boss recommending you for a possible job/internship in the future? If you answered yes to all three of these questions, you’re onto the next step, which is deciding what kind of recommendation you are searching for. Take the time to talk to your boss or team about future aspirations, and whether he/she/they would be comfortable recommending you. Also discuss whether anything from a hand written recommendation to one on a career profile website, such as linkedin.com, would be more beneficial in securing your next desired opportunity.
5. Summer Cleaning
Remember that Zen feeling you got when you first received your desk? Clean drawers, empty waste basket - nothing but space for fresh ideas and unlimited potential? I’m sure those days seem like far off memories so it makes sense that now that you bite the bullet and clean up your office space. Not only will this give you the opportunity to search for any missing documents (or sandwich coupons), but by taking the time to re-organize your space, you’ll gain the chance to get rid of both the physical and mental clutter, all while leaving you with a sense of renewal.
6. Network, Network, Network
If you haven’t already, make a conscious effort to branch out to other office employees. Learn about what they do to make the company succeed and what tips they have to offer to future employees. Take advantage of social media websites such as Linkedin.com and Twitter.com to further connect outside the office. Also, always remember to create friendships that keep you in touch long after your internship ends.
7. The Thank You Letter(s).
Yes, letters as in plural. You want to make sure you not only thank your boss, but the people who helped and inspired you along the way. This could be a hefty amount of people – if it’s anything I’ve learned from being raised in the South, it’s not to be stingy with heartfelt thank yous – so the earlier you start the better. You especially don’t want to run out of time and unintentionally repeat the same sentiments in each note. Bad idea. Unoriginality and insincere letters are about as worse as not writing them in the first place. So take your time, draft your notes on a computer (make sure you spell check accordingly) then write all of your thank you notes on simple, yet sophisticated, stationary. For further details, check out my upcoming post this week.
8. Enjoy it.
Whether you’re interning in a brand new city or back at home, take the time to appreciate all you have learned during the experience. Nothing could be more instructive than hands on experience, and the lessons learned are, as cliché as it sounds, timeless.
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