You’re stressed… You’ve edited your resume and cover letters countless times. You’ve visited the Boston College Career Center, your academic advisor, the chair and director of your major. You’ve discussed the summer and internship opportunities with anyone willing to listen and offer advice. You’ve applied and interviewed and now you’re waiting for any news.
You’re ecstatic… Fast forward weeks later and you get that offer letter, email or call. Is this real? Did you really just land that internship you’ve been hoping for, for weeks on end? You pinch yourself and nothing changes. You did it. The hard work paid off.
You’re anxious… The hardest part is securing the job, right? Now that summer is approaching, you start to wonder if you have been so prepared for the internship search process, but not as prepared for the real thing. This is where you’re wrong. You’re prepared. Your professors, advisors, mentors, career counselors and past experiences have prepared you for this. You’ve landed the internship and now it’s time to let the anxious feeling subside and the excitement shine through.
I sat down with Louis Gaglini, Associate Director of the Boston College Career Center Employer Engagement Team, to discuss how we, as students, can make the most of our summer internships and excel like the Eagles we are.
Standing Out
Once you get to your internship, aim to stand out as the hard-working and motivated individual you are. Whether you’re conducting research, offering your perspective as a student, so on, don’t just blend in; stand out. The best way to stand out is by showcasing your understanding of the organization you are at and your dedication to your work.
“Ask enough questions to gain information because really the most important part of an internship is your professional development,” Gaglini advised. “Stay true to yourself and understand why you’re there.”
Making Connections
Gaglini defines networking, or making connections, as meeting and getting to know the people around you. The first, easy step in this process is determining if you are among any Boston College graduates or interns and connecting with them over coffee or lunch. When making connections, gain information and ask people about their lives and how they got to where they are currently.
In terms of getting to the next step… “Sometimes you’ll speak with someone and they may not be the perfect person to assist you at that point,” Gaglini assured. “Ask them for ideas on other people inside or outside the organization to talk with about your career pursuits. You’d be surprised how willing people are to help you with a couple of names to contact.”
Creating Learning Opportunities
How can you gain the most experience possible at your internship?: By making a learning opportunity out of everything.
“If you’re asked to photocopy something, read it as you photocopy it as long as it’s not confidential,” Gaglini said. “Read it and learn from it. If you’re asked to piece together a presentation for someone else to give, ask if you can sit in when the presentation is delivered and read the presentation to learn from it.”
However minor the task, doing this small step makes it significant and makes you feel more valuable as part of the organization you are interning for.
Being a Self-Starter
According to Gaglini, all summer interns have already proved themselves as self-starters by occupying the professional environment as college students.
“When you identify as a quality individual with talent to bring to the workplace, you’ve already placed expectations on yourself and others will place expectations on you as well,” Gaglini said. “It’s only going to escalate, which is a good thing.”
With these expectations, don’t feel pressure. Once you have met or exceeded them, take any extra work that comes your way. Prove yourself and be respectful and you will be recognized.
Understanding the Culture
What’s the dress code? What’s the meeting protocol? Do people bring their lunch? Observe and answer these questions early on to adapt to your environment.
As an intern, you don’t want to stand out in a negative way and to do so, you need to understand the culture of your organization in the way you dress, speak, arrive, etc.
“If you’re early, you’re on time and if you’re on time, you’re late,” Gaglini said. We’ve all heard this before, but why? Gaglini advised that you don’t need to be the first one in and the last one out each day, but it’s always a good idea to be a few minutes early.
“Set a precedent and be the person who’s there when they need you. Be dependable; you don’t want to be the one making excuses.”
After you leave the workplace, it’s not all over for the day. If you go out after hours with other employees, make sure that they and you are all on your best behaviors. An internship is an important time for you; always remember that.
Wrapping Up
Make sure you thank your colleagues and employers and continue your relationship after the summer is over. Many organizations conduct exit interviews to give interns their professional input and also get feedback from interns about the experience. In exit interviews it is customary to discuss how interns will stay in touch with employers in the future.
If this is not the case, Gaglini advised to tell others you have enjoyed working with them and had a tremendous experience. Then ask them if they would mind staying in touch. “Put it in the form of a question,” Gaglini said. It’s rare that people say no. If they say yes, ask if you can connect with them on LinkedIn or email them for questions about their work.”
With your supervisor, however, assume that you will keep in contact. Asking them: “How would you like to stay in touch?”
You’re ready… You will learn and grow significantly throughout your summer internship. You have a stake in your internship, but so do your supervisors. They look forward to getting to know you well to consider potentially hiring you in the future.
One last piece of advice Gaglini gave about making the most of your summer internship is to think of it as a 10-week interview.
“If you think of an internship in those terms, you will naturally force yourself to make the best of it and make every day count,” Gaglini said. “It’s not pressure; it’s opportunity.”
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