How to End Your Internship on a Positive Note

The TechGen
TechGen Buzz
Published in
3 min readAug 15, 2017

Believe it or not, the summer is coming to an end, and so is your summer internship. The end of the internship doesn’t mean the end of the relationship with your boss and coworkers, as long as you end it right. A nice exit helps you make the most of what you’ve learned and who you’ve met, and might help you land your dream job in the future. Here are some tips to end your internship on a high note.

Keep up the good work

Do you still remember the first weeks of your internship? You probably got up feeling excited about the day and were one of the first people to get to the office. But inevitably, as time goes by, your excitement goes down and your performance may wane a little bit. Keeping a high level of enthusiasm till the end is not easy, but it can surely leave your coworkers with a lasting good impression and also make your remaining few weeks more enjoyable. Remember that you’ve already delivered so much good work, don’t let the last few weeks leave you with any regrets.

Help transition your work to a new intern

Although your internship is coming to an end, all your work may not, and there might will be another intern coming in and taking over your responsibilities. And even if there isn’t an intern taking on your role and responsibilities, somebody will! So make it as smooth and easy a transition as possible. So firstly, you might want to tie up the loose ends of the projects on your plate. If you can’t finish them, leave a status report of where you are leaving them. It is also helpful to leave some tips to the incoming intern, telling them what the responsibilities are, how to deal with them, and what tools you find helpful for work. You can’t imagine how helpful it is for your boss and the incoming intern.

Say “Thank You”

It is simple, but not everyone does it well. Tell your boss what you got out of the internship and thank her for the opportunity. Thank your co-workers for the great working experience and their support along the way. It’s also a good idea to send out handwritten cards to the people you worked with, but if not, make sure you write a thank you email to everyone. Expressing your gratitude goes a long way.

Ask for feedback

While we often reflect on our work, we may not get the whole picture of ourselves, so of course, we need feedback from others. Who can give you better workplace feedback than your boss and co-workers, who have worked with you for the whole summer? Then don’t miss this great opportunity. Reach out and let them know that you are open to constructive criticism — and compliments, of course. It can help you properly review your internship and get ready for the next.

Share your future plan with your supervisors and co-workers

Don’t forget that the people you work with are part of your network, and your paths may very well cross in the future. By sharing your future plan with your supervisors and co-workers, you can build a deeper connection with them. They might have some great advice for you, or you might be able to help each other in other ways. So take a couple of minutes to talk to them before you end your internship, and you might thank yourself later for it.

Update your resume and portfolio

While you probably want to enjoy a good rest right after your internship, it’s best to update your resume and your LinkedIn profile while your memory is still fresh. When you add your main responsibilities to your resume, don’t just list the things you did, think of the effects on the team, the audience or the clients. And when you update your LinkedIn profile, don’t forget to also connect with your coworkers on LinkedIn (if you haven’t already!). Keep your network growing!

Find the tips helpful? Check out our blog for more must-read career tips.

Ready for your next adventure? Find your dream internship at TechGen! Marketing, tech and analytics internships from 450+ Boston companies awaits you!

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The TechGen
TechGen Buzz

TechGen is the bridge between New England’s best university students and its top technology and healthcare companies.