With anything in life, the experience is what you make of it, and as an intern, itâs no different. You can only get out of an internship what you put into itâso consider your internship a chance to make a good impression, contribute fresh ideas, and âbe a spongeâ by learning from everyone with whom you work.
If you are proactive with the company and take charge of your own internship experience by seeking out mentors and using all of your resources for your work, you may have a great experience. However, if you stay put in your cubicle and never seek out help and advice, Iâm guessing your internship is not going to be very fulfilling. You wonât have any fun, and you may walk away having not learned anything. I doubt you want to be âthat personâ who sits in his cubicle and watches YouTube all day!
It can be easy to go about your tasks without getting involved in the company, but my advice is to stay active to make your internship count! As an intern, you are as much a part of the company as anyone else. This is important because in many cases, internships can lead to full-time positions. When it comes time for the boss to decide whether or not to extend an offer to you, will the boss/hiring committee remember the intern they never saw or spoke with? They will probably recall the intern who was in their offices asking questions and providing top-notch work.
The way I look at it, during your internship, you should be the person coming into the office fist-pumping away out on the dance floor. Donât be a âwallflowerâ who is unwilling to âget out and dance.â Thus far in my internship, I have found myself in both positions, and being the shy intern is not the way to go.
SoâŠan easy way to keep from slipping into the role of the âwhat did that person do here?â intern is to network with the people in your office. Get to know the people around you, and take an interest in what they do. It wonât always be easyâyou may have to extend yourself a bit. People will be busy with their jobs, but try to say hello first thing in the morning and have some friendly conversations.
Stay active, involved, and be ready to stretch out of your comfort zone. It can be intimidating talking to a boss or co-worker, but take a chance, and make your internship count!
What are your suggestions for being proactive and getting all that you can out of your internship? Please share in the comments section below.
