Before you know it, summer will be over and it will be time to return to school for fall semester. If you’ve had a summer internship, that might be ending soon, too. Here are five important tips to keep in mind to end your internship on a successful note.
1. Finish Strong
Remember the nervous excitement you felt on the first day of your internship? While hopefully you feel much more comfortable now, the key is to never get too comfortable.
Make sure you’re still coming in early/staying late, volunteering for projects, and generally doing anything to show you are the type of person who gives 110%.
You’ll leave a positive, lasting impression with your managers and co-workers if you keep your energy up right until the end of your internship.
2. Network
Ideally, you’ve been able to do a series of informational interviews with people inside and outside of your department. If not, now is the time to pitch this idea to your boss. These conversations will help you figure out what job might be the best fit for you. They also help build your professional network.
Trust me, when you need to find a full-time job, you are going to be thankful you know so many people who already have one.
3. Update Your Resume
Nothing caps off a great internship experience like proudly adding it to your resume. Make sure you make a note of any analytics or figures associated with the projects you’ve been working on.
For example, if you’ve been working on a social media campaign, what metrics have been gathered that demonstrate its success? You can certainly talk to co-workers or your supervisor about how to best position your experience.
4. Ask a Manager for Feedback
If a formal review is not part of your internship process, ask your manager to meet with you so you can get some important feedback about your performance.
5. Say Thank-You
Be sure to tell people how thankful you are for the experience before you leave. Everyone from the receptionist who has greeted you, to any co-workers or supervisors who have helped or inspired you, should get a specific thank you.
Even if you’re not loving the internship, all of this advice applies because you never want to burn any bridges.
No matter what, it’s important to reflect on the specifics of what you did and didn’t like about the experience so you can make better decisions about which full-time opportunities will be a good fit for you.
Do you have any questions before you finish your internship? Do you have questions about how to arrange a different or better one next time? Please get in touch; we’re here to help!
(Contact the iSchool’s Office of Career Services – and Meredith Tornabene – at Room 109 in Hinds Hall, 315 443-0242, or mtornabe@syr.edu.)
