College Crunch

One of the staples of college is the internship. Internships give you the chance to get experience and to build up your resume. But maybe just as important, they give you the opportunity to prove your worth to a prospective employer.

Now more than ever, employers are looking to make job offers straight out of an internship. It’s a win-win situation for employer and intern. The employer gets the chance to test out the productivity, attitude and work ethic of a prospective employee. The intern gets to consider whether she likes the job while simultaneously building her resume and getting priceless experience in the workforce.

Based on our experience both as interns and employers, we’ve put together the following list of tips for maximizing your college internship.

1. Maximize communication with your supervisor

Get to know your supervisor and make sure that the lines of communication are open on a daily basis. Make sure that you are clear about your internship responsibilities and that you are given enough duties to keep you busy. It is paramount that you and your supervisor develop a clear plan of action for the course of the internship. Also, don’t be afraid to make suggestions and ask for feedback on a weekly basis.

If communication is poor, your internship experience will be miserable. You will always wonder how your employer thinks of you and you may spend a lot of idle time twiddling your thumbs rather than getting critical experience.

2. Go above and beyond the call of duty

Show up for work early. Go home late. Come up with novel ideas that will prove your value to the company and then share them at an appropriate time. Don’t be satisfied with just getting the job done. Make sure it is done well. Really well. Put the finishing touches on your work so that it stands out.

What you want to do with your internship is make an impression. You want to stand out from the crowd. Doing simple things that show your commitment and work ethic will go a long way.

3. Network with other interns and employees

Don’t wait until you’ve graduated to start the networking process. Start building contacts and professional friendships with everyone you meet. Collect email addresses and instant messenger usernames. Build professional networks online with sites like Linked In.

The sooner you start networking, the faster your network will grow. And if there is any rule of business it is this: a bigger network equals more opportunity.

4. Use your free time to try things out and be creative.

Your internship may be one of the few times in your life where you are given the freedom to be creative, experiment and try things out. It is a time of discovery. You should use the time to feel out different job roles within the company to find the ones you like, and the ones you don’t like. The sooner you figure out what you like to do, the more likely it is that you’ll have a career that you enjoy.

Too many people get stuck in jobs they do not like. Your college internship is just as likely to tell you what you don’t like doing as it is to be a fairy tail experience. If try a variety of things during your internship and you pay attention to what you like and what you don’t like, you will gain valuable information for fine tuning your career path.

5. Finish it off strong

There’s a temptation to get lazy as an internship comes to an end. But this is really where you can maximize the value of your internship experience. As your internship comes to an end, here are five recommendations:

First, make sure get letters of recommendation from your supervisor before your leave. Don’t put this off until later as your supervisor may not be in his or her position when you eventually need that letter. Second, bring your projects to completion. Show that you have what it takes to be a deal closer. Third, use your last few weeks to make an imprint on the company; one that they can’t afford to lose. Fourth, ensure a smooth transition of data. Put together a thorough report so that whoever takes on your responsibilities is not left hanging. Fifth, make it personal. Write a letter to company officials thanking them for the experience. Don’t be afraid to flatter them, but also don’t get too sentimental. Impress them by expressing a sense of honor and integrity.