Getting the most out of your internship program- Intern’s guide
An internship can be the gateway to a great career path. If exploited well, it could set you up for success from the very beginning. One of the best frameworks I’ve seen to help guide your career brand & profile through any professional experience is the SKEEN Acceleration Framework;
- Skills
- Knowledge
- Experience
- Exposure
- Network
Here’s how to get the most out of this opportunity using the above guide;
1. The search
With thousands of students & fresh graduates looking for jobs & internships every year, you have to expand your search criteria to go beyond job boards and career pages. You’ll have to knock down the door of opportunity yourself. Go the road less traveled and be more proactive in your search efforts by putting yourself out in the market where potential employers will meet you in your best form, beyond your CV. And be on the lookout for fake job ads too. Aside from this, just like the employer, understand your legal rights as an intern as guided by International Labor Organisations such as ILO and local state employment laws. Consult your legal friends or search for freely available legal resources in your country that will protect you against unfair employers & your human rights. Know what the employer is & isn’t obligated to provide for you as an intern.
2. The employer
What kind of company would get you most excited about launching your career with? Are they in a particular industry, size, geographic distribution? Or do they represent certain cultural values that you want eg female-led leadership, community-driven, faith-based, etc? Choosing your ideal employer is as important as choosing the right job for you. Matching you with the ideal employer will help improve your engagement levels & reduce turnover as well as chances of you applying for jobs or offering referrals later on. Create a list of your ideal employers and information about them. You can use apps like Trello or even Excel to monitor them and their open career opportunities. Combine these with other apps like Linkedin or offline techniques to get more information about them, what previous staff has said, or where to get networked faster. Research employers and go beyond the usual tag lines to find real information about these employers. The type of company you choose is just as important as getting the right job as we’ve seen with most Gen Z.
3. The job application
In school, we studied the 3Cs of people i.e.. competence, commitment, and consistency. All jobs look for these things. Design your CV in a way that highlights these from the very beginning. Use these free CV resources to help you get started. Make it ATS-friendly while showcasing examples of times when you demonstrated certain qualities listed in the job advertisement. This is the time to shine by showing your leadership stints in school or the community, volunteerism, or all the other cool stuff you do outside the school to grow. Since an internship is an entry-level job, these will help you stand out quickly without any previous job experiences. For more on your application email, check out our latest piece.
4. The Interview
So your CV has managed to get you in the door and you have an interview locked down. Use any of our previous interview notes to prepare well. Combine this with the information you’ve gathered in your job search process above and you’ll be sure to have a winning interview and land the job.
5. The Internship
Whatever company you’re working for, it’s easy to be just another intern. Don’t let the chance to be unique and noticed pass you by. Screw being humble. Use every opportunity to show the best of yourself and why the talent team should keep an eye out for you for all the good reasons. To do this, interact with as many employees & leaders as possible. Find as much as you can about the company’s strategic & operational goals. Research and work with others to find innovative ways to shine a light on your tenure & achievements. That’s the way to stand out.
And while at it, create a before and after scenario of how you see yourself growing from this opportunity on your first day. Through visualization, look at how much you can gain from this particular experience and employer. Different employers and opportunities offer different things. A large company like Google could provide more networks than a smaller startup. While a smaller company can give you more skills and knowledge in your field or industry compared to another. Have an end goal(SMART) and work out backward how to achieve it.
It helps to be working towards specific objectives for yourself first then for your employer. As with any right onboarding process, get started on the right path by setting & agreeing on the internship objectives with your direct supervisor. Make sure to include both hard(related to your profession eg technical report writing for an electrical engineer) as well as soft skills that are more transferable and key for your professional career that will most likely be winding & unpredictable. Your soft skills will be a good foundation for your career success so explore all the various ways you can learn these skills through online & offline techniques and keep practicing & honing down on them. Skills like creativity and a willingness to learn are essential for not only beginners but veteran employees as well. So take note of the top 4 hard & soft skills you wish to acquire or improve during your internship & share these with the supervisor and see how to tailor your assignments & work deliverables to help you demonstrate and learn on the job or by working with others.
And while at it, do not be scared to try out new things. That’s also refining your growth muscle & adaptability. As an intern or fresh graduate, this stage of your career is best for exploration. Explore different departments, functions, work styles, employers, industries, etc until you discover what you’re good at and enjoy doing.
As an employee of the co, also make sure to get a FORMAL written employment contract outlining all the normal obligations & benefits eg leave days, termination terms, pay, or work policies. Be sure to adhere to these as going against labor laws or company code of conduct or culture could land you into big trouble. As a staff, you are liable and directly mandated to follow laid down procedures & guidelines regarding your employee engagement. This also means that you’re legally protected just like any other employee as well in case of any risk such as sexual harassment or work injury. Know your rights as an intern as this can come in handy as well in case of any unfortunate events.
6. Your achievements
And while on it, many people forget to document their career journey. This makes your interviews harder if you can't recall all the ways you contributed to teams or projects. Write down your biggest achievements as they happen using the STAR technique- Situation, Task, Action, Result. You should also keep track of the rewards, recognition, and recommendations your managers give you. This will help validate your CV claims during the interview. You can also include these in your cover letter or unsolicited emails to recruiters. Starting with action and not job requests will guarantee the attention of any recruiter. Get a solid recommendation letter from your supervisor before you leave showcasing your KSAs(Key Skills and abilities). We’ve shown before how to use social proof to create a positive image for employers online & on your resume.
7. Your networks
Opportunities are really connected to people. It’s why referrals are so popular in the hiring community. While interning, connect with as many people as possible. Use our previous notes on this and also utilize social networks to cement this beyond the office. Be genuine about your relationships & always seek help instead of ‘What can I get out of this?’. While working, understand the power dynamics of your department and HR. Who’s the real decision-maker when it comes to hiring & promotions? How can you get on their good side? And as the 48 Laws of Power dictates, know whose toes not to step on too. Be friendly & approachable with everyone you meet. Bad attitudes have been known to strangle many career opportunities.
8. After the internship
The end of something could be the beginning of another. Tap into your networks by keeping regular engagement with your contacts. Find out early on if your employer has an alumni program and how to join it. Express gratitude for the opportunity and if possible offer actionable feedback during your exit interview. Don’t forget to include internships in your CV & other brand portfolios as you go along. And most importantly, evaluate the internship from the lens of a career. After your experience, is this the kind of profession you would see yourself in for years? What about the kind of company you want to be part of? What has this experience taught you about your strengths & weaknesses? Use this to reflect upon being the kind of person an employer would want to hire. You can also work with HR to find out other long-term opportunities that may be available for internal staff eg job rotations, shadowing & open roles advertised internally that you could be a fit for. Express your gratitude & interest by sending an email to your line manager & colleagues who made an impact on your work in your last week. Be sure to include your personal email & contact information for those who’d wish to follow up or catch up.
Brian Tracy, “Practice the philosophy of continuous improvement. Get a little bit better every day.”
Have any advice for interns? Please share them below.
If you’re an employer looking to learn how to optimize your internship program for success, check this out. #StaySafe
