Internships: More than “Coffee & Copies”
Internships are a key success factor for high school and college students. Lessons from my experiences as an intern and intern coordinator on getting an internship that is more than the stereotypical “coffee and copies”.
I was recently reminded of this little piece I wrote for my college news a few years ago. I cannot say enough about the impact internships have had on my personal and professional life! They opened doors and brought forth a network of opportunities and experiences that are absolutely astounding to me.
I’ve updated the post somewhat, but the idea is the same. See the original on the OKWU Eagle.
According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), internships are on the rise (increasing by 8.5 percent in 2012), and with today’s economy, employers are much more likely to hire someone with previous career experience. In fact, the summary reveals the conversion rate for offering interns a full time position is not too shabby, at 64.8%. Also, the NACE survey states that at the one and five-year mark, interns are much more like to still be employed at the company they interned with, as compared to hires with no internship/co-op experience.
So how do you get that internship — the one that is more than coffee and copies? Now is the time to start!
Here are a few things I have learned along the way, both from my three internship experiences and from the experiences of the interns I have coordinated at a nonprofit community development organization since 2011.
Get Involved
If you want a great internship, involvement is a must! Be an active member of your community. Volunteer. Work hard at everything you do. This immersion will help you grow in your knowledge and understanding of your community and its strengths and weaknesses. Not only does community involvement make you a well-rounded and competent individual, but it also provides you with a solid résumé when applying for an internship.
Know Your Passions — and Your Strengths
What’s a job or cause that excites you? What are the things for which you will fight? What are you good at? Knowing the answer to these questions is vital for gaining an internship, as well as knowing who you are on a deeper level. (Start with a personality-type test). Then, take your passions and your strengths and look for organizations that share the same ideas. Maybe this begins with a Google search, with a look down Main Street, or a chat with your advisor.
Know the Organization
I was incredibly blessed to find and organization that truly believed in me and was willing to do what it took to help us all succeed. After you have found one (or a few) organizations that interest you, do your research. Learn about their purpose and history. Translation: Be a stalker. Find out if they already have an internship program. If they do — apply for it! If they do not, take heart (and read on)!
Create
Consider the possibility of being the first. Yes, it is scary, but experience says it is very possible.
A lot of organizations (and communities) are interested in the idea of an intern, but are not sure how to get successful internships started. Talk to the organization, see if they have an interest, and express your own. If the interest is there, find an intern supervisor (one person to whom you can direct your questions). With your supervisor, create a detailed assessment of the organization’s needs. Then ask a few simple questions:
- Where can I apply my skills and passions to meet these needs?
- How can we make these needs into specific projects?
- How long will this internship be?
- How much can I really accomplish in that time?
Using your answers to these questions, create a to-do list organized first by priority and project length. For each project, create an in-depth to-do list in a week-by-week plan. When your plan is finalized, understand that plans change, but having a list is a great way to prioritize and accomplish as much as possible.
Act
Treat your internship like a job — whether or not you get a paycheck. Work hard and be willing to accept critique. Learn new things — attempt something unfamiliar. Understand that you will make mistakes. Ask questions! Get continual feedback from your supervisor. And most importantly, document! Keep track of what you do on a blog or in a journal. This will be a valuable record for you, the organization, and future employers.
Reflect
At the closing of your internship, make a video, write an essay, blog, or do something to sum up your accomplishments and lessons learned. Get your supervisor’s feedback. Both of you should ask what went well and what would you change. First internships are not perfect; they are difficult, so expect both lists to be lengthy.
After the first, you will be an old pro. Maybe you will have found a great job— as I did. Apply for it or, at least, for another internship! Maybe you will have found the one job you do not want. Either way, you will learn something and gain valuable experience, both personally and professionaly.
Sources:
