The last days of your summer as a personal slave an intern have finally arrived! Sadness! Despite the tears you may be holding back on this grave day, please keep it professional. Let HC give you a few tips to ensure you leave the office in awe of your professionalism and grace.
1. Give your supervisor at least 2-weeks notice of your end-date.
If you have not already worked out an official end-date, now is the time to do so. You should let your internship supervisor know of your official end date at least two weeks in advance. The advance notice not only allows you to finish your current projects in the office but also leaves your supervisor with a comfortable time-cushion. No one likes surprises!
2. Dot your I’s and cross your T’s.
When you inform your supervisor of your end date, be sure to remind him or her of any internship fulfillment requirements. For example, if you are planning to receive college credit for your internship, remind your supervisor of anything he or she needs to complete. (For Bucknell, he or she must write a letter evaluating your performance this summer.) When you notify him or her of this, tell him or her in person. However, send a follow up email of the requirements and the corresponding information (ex: to whom he or she should send the letter, when he or she needs to send it by, etc.). Ask your supervisor to send you an email notifying you when he or she submits the letter. Don’t forget to fulfill any requirements on your part!
3. Say goodbye to everyone.
Make a point of saying farewell (and thank you) to anyone and everyone you have worked with this summer. Be sure to grab their business cards on the way out with their contact information so you can keep in touch in the future. Exchange any personal email addresses, as well. So long, farewell, auf weidersen, goodbye!
4. Write an email…
Shortly after you have ended your internship, send an email to your supervisor. Thank him or her again for the experience. In this email, you can ask for an evaluation of your performance this summer (if you haven’t already). Ask him or her what things you did well and what things you could work on. If you feel comfortable, you can also ask if your supervisor would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. Better to ask sooner rather than later (before you forget or they forget about you)!
5. Then send some snail mail.
The days of chivalry are not dead and nor are the days of snail mail. Dig through your desk drawers and find that stationary set your mother bought you years ago (just make sure it looks professional and doesn’t have Disney Princesses strewn about its border). Write a personal thank you note to your supervisor and the rest of the office. Trust me, the little extra goes a long way!
6. Keep in touch.
Every month or so, send an email to your summer office. Contact your supervisor, close colleagues and fellow interns to check in and see how they are doing and what they are up to. Networking is so important nowadays!
7. Reflect
After you internship has ended, take some time to reflect on this summer. Update your resume and portfolio with your new projects and skills. Take some time to think about your experience, as well. What aspects did you enjoy about this work environment? What were some of the downsides? How does this form the next move in your career? Regardless if the experience made you love or hate the given industry, you probably walked away from this experience with some newly acquired knowledge.
If you complete these seven tasks in a timely manner, you will definitely leave your old workplace impressed. Now the time has finally come; get ready to return to the Bucknell bubble!