Practical tips to make the best out of your internship
Spend your lunch break with colleagues
Ask one or a group of your colleagues if you could have lunch together. Sometimes the relationships you build with other people in the office are the most important thing. Having a lunch break together not only gives you the opportunity to get to know new people but also to get more information about the work you’re doing and the company or institution you’re working for.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions
There’s a German saying that goes like this: „No master fell out of the sky“. It means that someone is good at something not because he or she knew how to do it out of the blue. Masters aren’t born, but made and it takes work! Of course, sometimes we forget about how hard it was in the beginning, so maybe your colleagues don’t think they have to explain that special thing to you. Just ask them and they’ll probably see that it requires a little explanation.
And even if you’re not facing any issues concerning the things you’re supposed to do. Why not ask some questions about how the persons working there got to where they are or if they have some recommendations for you?
Just be yourself
Don’t try too hard, but don’t be overly restrained either! It’s all about the balance and you got it!
If something goes wrong, don’t beat yourself up! Apologize, it it’s appropriate, and focus on doing it better in the future. An internship is all about new experiences and learnings, but if you’re open, they’ll come to you naturally! So don‘t overthink, just do your best and be nice to the people aroung you!
Don’t consider your internship as a waste of time – even if you hate it
The internship doesn’t go well for you and you think about quitting? Of course this can be the right decision, but what if you try some things first? Identify the problems you’re facing and talk to your colleagues or your boss about them, e.g. that your workload is too high, the tasks are not demanding enough or that you need more support. If you’re simply bored: Why not ask around, if anybody need help? Another option you have is to look at your internship from another perspective: It’s an experience. We’re sure you’re smart enough learn from it and take something out of everything!
Ask for a feedback session at the end of your internship
Even if you didn’t like the work place and the tasks you were doing – receiving feedback is a crucial part of an internship! And what if you did like it? The feedback can be really helpful to classify your experience.
You can ask for some minutes of your boss‘ time to discuss your way of working, how you managed your tasks and how your integration in the team went. It’s also a good opportunity to let your employer know what you thought about working there. (But hey, don’t be too rude, ok? 😉 The key terms are objective evaluation and constructive criticism)
If your boss has positive feedback for you: Remember what he or she praised you for. In your next job interview you might want to tell your future employers what your former boss said about you.
Just like always, if you need further information, we got you covered!
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