Ace That Internship: 6 Things To Do Before You Leave

It's the end of summer internship season, and here is a list of things to do your last week!

1. Get coffee/lunch with your supervisor: Make sure you continue to build your relationship with your supervisor. They can be a great mentor, reference and sounding board in the future. One day you can even repay them for their kindness!

2. Compile your portfolio (ask for permission) : Start putting together samples of what you did during your internship. Ask your supervisor what is appropriate to bring with you, and whatever you get permission for make sure to take a digital copy for future portfolios. Try and find your best work, as well as pieces that show you can do the more common tasks.

3. Update your LinkedIn, professional website and resume: Take an afternoon or night to update all three of these items and make sure they reflect what you did. It takes a lot of editing and rewriting, but use your task list to make this easier.

4. Finish any projects: Even if you can't finish them, make sure you stop at a place that others can pick up at. Keep your supervisor updated on your progress, and leave a description of where you left off.

5. Ask for a review: If your internship doesn't already schedule a review at the end, ask for one for two reasons. One, you get to hear how you did, and can make goals for yourself to improve. Two, you can give your supervisor feedback on your experience.

6. If you feel comfortable, ask for a reference: If you feel as if you have a great relationship with your supervisor, ask for them to be a reference or for a letter of reference. They are the best ones to ask because they worked with you directly.If you connected with other people in the company and worked with them closely, ask them as well to be a reference. It's important later on when you're applying for internships, awards and scholarships.

Bonus:Write a thank you card! Alicia and Elana reminded me of the most important tip, write a thank you note to people you worked with! Both remarked how it had left an impression on them. I can't believe I forgot about this, since it's normally my number one tip!


What did/do you do to end your internship on a positive note? If you had an internship, how did you think it went/?

xoxo

Ace the Internship Posts:
Ace That Internship Part 1: Find the Right Internship for You
Ace That Internship Part 2: What to Wear
Ace That Internship Part 3: Interviews
Act That Internship Part 4: The Follow-Up
Ace That Internship Part 5: During Your Internship
Ace That Internship Part 6: How to Gain the Most From Your Internship Part 1
Ace That Internship Part 7: How to Gain the Most From Your Internship Part 2

Ace That Internship: How to Gain the Most from Your Internship Part 2

Here is the second part of Ace That Internship: How to Gain the Most from Your Internship! Check out the first part here! This part is all about the people you meet and work with. These tips will hopefully help you make lasting connections and make it a little less awkward.

1. Schedule Lunch/Coffee: Throughout the duration of your internship try and schedule lunch or coffee with almost everyone you work with, your boss's boss and even upper management in the company. Simply send an email or stop by their office and ask if they would be willing to sit down with you to discuss their career journey.

2.Follow Up: After that coffee or lunch, make sure to follow up with a thank you card for their time. Make sure to stop by periodically to check in with the, and don't be afraid to ask follow up questions if they seem to be open to it. You'll have to read their body langauge, and even ask point blank if you would be able to follow up with them. Time is precious, but many professionals are open to mentoring!

3. Connect on LinkedIn: Send a personalized message to your co-workers and supervisor, as well as anyone that you had lunch or coffee with. Connec with other interns as well! In your message include who you are, and something personal you may have connected about. They're a lot more likely to connect with you that way!

4.Remember Details: Do they have a kid? What about their favorite sports team? Make an effort to remember one thing about every person you have a conversation with. It's one of the easiest ways to get to know people and build relationships!

6.Keep a Contact List: Depending on who you have contact with during your internship, keep a list of people you've met. This can be done in an Excel spreadsheet. It's a lot easier than you think! A little googling or using the business card they gave you should give you the information you need.



Remember not to force relationships, sometimes you might not just click! But don't be afraid to reach out to people, always be polite, and work your hardest!

What do you do to make the most of your relationships? What do you do to go above and beyond at your internship?


xoxo

Here are the links to my other Ace That Internship Posts!
Ace That Internship Part 1: Find the Right Internship for You
Ace That Internship Part 2: What to Wear 
Ace That Internship Part 3: Interviews 
Act That Internship Part 4: The Follow-Up 
Ace That Internship Part 5: During Your Internship 
Ace That Internship Part 6: How to Gain the Most From Your Internship Part 1

Ace That Internship: How to Gain the Most from Your Internship Part 1

It's a very long title, but the two posts cover two different subjects! In this post I'll be discussing how to document your experiences at your internships!

1. Be Observant & Ask Intelligent Questions:  Observe your co-workers! Look at how they complete tasks, interact with clients, complete their to do lists and what they say during meetings. Ask questions about their relationships with clients, how they execute tasks and where they gain inspiration!

2. Take selfies: This is a weird idea, but take selfies at cool events, at your desk, and before big meetings at different places. You can use these on your professional website to illustrate all the fun thing you were able to experience.

3. Save Samples: Ask your supervisor if you can save some examples of your work. Always ask because your work is probably considered property of the company or business you work for. Save some of your best work, especially of projects that are already completed. Try and show a progression of work, from the beginning to the end. Save an electronic copy so you can print it multiple times as well as uploaded to your portfolio!

4. Keep a Task List: After each week, set aside some time to write down all the tasks you completed at your internship. Try to associated numbers with it, such as wrote this many press releases that were picked up by this many news outlets or increased page views by 10% with new blog posts. This is also helpful when you tailor your resumes because you'll know what you did at each internship!

5. Keep Track of What You Learned: Keep a list of what you learned throughout your time as an intern! It's a great way to refresh your memory when you need it later on down the line. Some ideas would be what you observed during the set up and take down of an event.



What do you do to gain the most from your internship? Where are you interning? If you have a full-time job, what did you do in your internship that helped you get a job?

xoxo