At the time of writing this, I am about to end an internship where over the 6 month period the individuals I have worked with have become like a family to me. So how did that happen and over just a 6 month period?
Here are 5 tips for starting & ending an internship on a good note:
Go out of your way
Go out of your way… to get to know the other members of the work community you will be working with.
Go out of your way…through being open enough for your fellow community members to get to know you.
Go out of your way… to help others finish a team tasks.
Put In 100%
Put in 100%… into every task that comes your way.
Put in 100%… into every piece of work that you do.
Put in 100%… into anything that will be a direct representation of you.
Ask questions
Ask questions… if you are confused.
Ask questions… if instructions do not make sense.
Ask questions… so your fellow community members can figure out your style of learning (visual, auditory, etc…).
Find your passion
Find your passion… in your work.
Find your passion… in your team’s work.
Find your passion… that is in your life, and relate it to the work that you do.
Have fun
Have fun…by laughing or giggling a ton (at appropriate moments).
Have fun…by being silly with your work community (quote boards, gifs, etc…).
Have fun…by celebrating both big and little moments with your work community.
If you stick to these five tips, everything else will follow. My internship experience was a successful one because my team and I went out of our way to get to know and help one another. It was also important that I put 100% into what I did because my work was a direct reflection of both the team and myself. Putting 100% into my work meant that I had to understand everything I was doing, and if you are as lucky as I was, your team members will encourage you to ask questions. Finally, find your passion in your life and relate it to your work, which is often done by having fun. Don’t be afraid to laugh!
Go into your internship with these tips, and you will start and end your internship on a good note.
