8 Things You Must Do Before Your Internship Ends You’re in the home stretch.You have two weeks left of your internship, and as you prepare to move back to school all you’ve got on your mind is that pesky morning cla you signed up for twice a week and how in the world you are going to fit all your new clothes into your suitcase.
Wait a second.We said you’re in the home stretch, not the locker room.The game’s not over.Before you get too caught up in going back to school, let’s talk about something that comes first: ending your summer internship.What can you do in your last two weeks in the office to both leave a positive lasting impreion on your bo and coworkers AND ensure that you milked your position for all it is worth?\'
HC’s got you covered.We’ve gathered a list of 8 things you NEED to do before your internship ends that will allow you make the most of the hard work you put in to your job over the last few months.
Ask for Feedback on Your Performance
Sure, you may talk to your bo every morning.But have you ever asked her for detailed, honest feedback on your work? Throughout your internship you may have completed your tasks, but you may not have had the chance to ae how well you completed them.Ask your bo — in an email, before meeting face-to-face — in what ways you met her expectations, and how you could have done better.Discuing this with her at least two weeks before the end of your internship will give you time to make changes should they be neceary.Internships are meant to be learning experiences, so take advantage of that.
Hearing from your bo on how she perceives your accomplishments can also teach you how to present your strengths to future employers.―Their perspective on your on-the-job performance may be invaluable in helping you prepare for future interviews,‖ says Alan Gro, CEO of Gro Strategic Marketing, a marketing company based in Jacksonville, Florida.
Set up Informational Interviews
Though your internship is short, you want to become as much a part of the company community as poible.One way to do this is to speak with your colleagues, who can offer you a wealth of knowledge on how to succeed in the field.
You can tap into your colleagues’ career knowledge by setting up short informational interviews, during which you can ask about their positions in the field and how they got there.These meetings can take place throughout the duration of your internship, but make sure to do them in the last two weeks if you haven’t already held them! The formality of the interviews is up to you — do you want to speak over coffee? Over lunch? Or would you rather meet in the office conference room? On interview day, be sure to bring a set of questions to ask, and don’t forget to take notes!
Whether you know it or not, your colleagues will be thrilled to help you out.―I can tell you that as someone who was once a volunteer and an intern, I know what it’s like and the work that is needed to climb the ladder! Thus, I am always happy to help an intern of mine in their own profeional development, whether it be through explaining my job description or other tasks,‖ says Rebekkah Belferman, Communications Manager at Oakland Planning & Development Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA.
By conducting these interviews, you are presenting yourself to your colleagues as a prepared individual genuinely interested in the field, which, you gueed it — will make networking that much easier once you leave the office.―Showing interest in what people at the company do will keep you on their radar and make you stand out among other interns,‖ Her Campus Life editor Amanda First says.But remember: getting to know your coworkers isn’t just about networking.Talking to people in the industry who were in your position just a few years ago can provide you with invaluable career advice.
Share Your Career Plans With Your Colleagues
Talking to colleagues about your plans is just as important as listening to theirs.According to Alison Green, a career expert on management, talking to your internship colleagues about your current work and your future plans is a strategic career move.In an article for U.S.News and World Report she writes, ―These people might be quite helpful to you in the future — telling you about job leads, recommending you for a job, helping you figure out career choices, and so forth.But a lot of people won\'t offer this kind of help if you don\'t explicitly ask for it, although they\'ll be happy to help if you ask them to.‖
During the final days of your internship, if you haven’t already in your informational interviews or in paing, mention your career plans to your colleagues.Are you waiting by the copy machine with a project manager? Tell him about your dream of running a software team at a start-up in San Francisco.In the elevator with the company’s community organizer? Tell her you’re a year away from earning your degree in social services.Don’t be afraid to talk about your plans for the future! Someone you work with may have advice or even the connections to help you achieve your goals.
Ask About Continued Work
Interested in continuing work for your employer after your internship ends? Your employer may be interested, too, but it’s not her job to ask to keep you on — it’s yours.Speak up and expre your desire to continue working for the company, whether it’s to finish a project you’ve already started or to spearhead a project of your own, such as an event idea or taking on freelance writing for the company website.Approach your bo within your last week and ask if she has time to meet with you.Initiate your meeting by explaining all you have learned about the company through the projects you completed.Tell your bo that through these experiences, you have gained valuable insight into the company culture, and that you feel you are able to manage company tasks on your own.State that you are interested in continuing working for the company, if your bo is inclined to the idea.Be sure to provide examples of projects you would be willing (and able!) to tackle solo.
Should you ask to be paid? The decision is up to you.According to Vault.com, a career website, ―if you’re comfortable working for free, do that, but don’t be afraid to to out a rate either.Your experience with the company is valuable — treat it that way!‖ You’d be surprised — asking for pay is not an end-all to your work with your internship employer.Meghan Frick, a Her Campus contributing writer from Appalachian State University, said that all it took to earn a paid position with a company she interned at was simply to ask.―It was intimidating to start this conversation with my internship supervisor, but I\'m glad I did.I was able to continue freelancing and start getting paid for the newspaper owned by the publishing company I interned at.It never hurts to ask!‖ she says.
The bottom line: if you want to keep working for your employer, just ask.
Ask for a Recommendation
Whether or not you’re able to continue employment with the company, now is the time to ask for letters of recommendation.Allow your employer at least two weeks to write the recommendation; asking for a complete letter in a short amount of time makes you appear le-than-courteous, and not only is that the wrong lasting impreion to make, you also don’t want that image reflected in your recommendation.
Asking for a recommendation in the last few weeks of your internship encourages your bo to reflect on the positive impacts you made during your time with her.How’s that for a reminder of the superstar intern you are? Now, while your work and good qualities are fresh in her mind, is the time to ask for a letter.―If you’ve done a great job, you won’t find a more receptive moment to ask for this profeional favor,‖ Gro explains.
Gather Contact Information
While Facebook might be best left to your college BFFs, exchanging personal email addrees and adding your colleagues on LinkedIn during the last few days of your internship allows you to easily keep in contact with those who made an impact on you over the past few months.Staying in touch with colleagues is great for your career development, as it allows you to build a profeional network.Many corporations give former interns first preference, or even exclusive acce, to open positions at their company.Remaining in contact with your bo and colleagues makes you memorable to the company, a trait that can help you score a job later on.―Whirl hires exclusively from our intern base, and we always hire those who keep in touch with us,‖ says Victoria Bradley, Executive Editor of Whirl Magazine.
Staying in contact with colleagues may help you not only score a job at their company, but also a job at other companies.Connect with your employers and colleagues (this includes fellow interns!) every now and then to update them on your career goals, commend them for something the company has done or catch them up on what you’ve been doing since you left your internship.If you form a lasting bond with your colleagues by the end of your internship, they will more likely help you when you begin your job search.―When it came time to start looking for a job, everyone I met was more than willing to help me out.I had several interviews at different PR agencies because someone who I met the summer before gave me a positive recommendation to a friend at another agency,‖ Natalie Labriola, Marketing Manager at CardRunners, says.Handwrite Thank You Notes to Everyone You Worked With
If we haven’t tooted the hand-written thank you note’s horn enough, let me just say: it is a tried-and-true way to make yourself stand out among fellow interns — and to show your true appreciation.Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com, explains, ―writing a thank-you letter after an interview doesn’t just showcase a candidate’s manners — it can also make or break their chances of landing a job.‖ And writing one at the end of an internship is no different.This little 4‖ x 4‖ piece of cardboard is your space to show that you appreciated the opportunities your employer gave you throughout your internship (because we know that, regardle of the coffee runs, document copies and other grunt work you had to do, you probably got to work on some pretty cool projects).
To add a personal touch to your thank you notes, use either blank cards or profeional-looking stationary: something that gives you space to write and is plain enough (but not too plain!) to make your words stand out.After all, we want your boes to remember what yousaid in the note, not what the cartoon monkey posing on the front is exclaiming.Your notes should be detail-specific, discuing the skills you gained and moments you enjoyed while working with your employer.To make yourself even more memorable, consider giving a thank you note not only to your bo, but to colleagues you worked under as well.When done well, writing thank you notes can be a reflective experience.―It forced me to sit down and really think about why I appreciated the experience of the internship,‖ says Madeleine Frank, Her Campus Harvard’s campus correspondent.When should you hand over your hand-written treasures? On the final day at your internship.This way, your note (a manifestation of your polished thoughts) leaves your final impreion.
As you set in on the home stretch, remember this: the final impreion you leave during your internship will become your lasting one.Make sure to take the time to connect with your colleagues in your final days, and thank each person you worked under.Your efforts over the last couple weeks could benefit you for years.
Nine Tips for Ending Your Internship on a Positive Note The last few days of your summer internship are just as important as the first—if not more.You\'ve worked hard all summer long, and the culmination of this experience will set the tone for your next career move.Wrapping up an internship the right way will ensure that moving forward, you\'ll receive stellar references and consideration for job openings and opportunities.If you take the time now to show your appreciation for your supervisor and lay the groundwork for keeping in touch, he or she can become an invaluable mentor throughout your career.The tricky thing is that saying goodbye to a bo can be a little awkward.Should you write a hand-written thank-you note or send an email? How do you make it known that you\'d like to pursue a career at the company? And what\'s the office protocol on hugging? We asked the experts for their advice.
Tie up loose ends.
\"If you\'re working on a project that extends past your last day, go the extra mile and create a status report of where you\'re leaving it,\" says Shara Senderoff, the CEO of Intern Sushi.\"Your coordinator will be thankful that you\'re not leaving him or her in the dark.\"
Set up a time to talk to your supervisor.
\"Asking your bo if you can meet for ten minutes before the end of your internship can be helpful,\" says Lauren Berger, the CEO of InternQueen.com.\"Explain your career goals, ask them for advice, and discu how the internship positively impacted your life.\"
Ask for feedback.
\"In order to properly understand how you\'ve contributed, kindly ask for a critique,\" says Senderoff.\"This is a chance to understand your impact—or lack thereof—so you can improve in your next experience.Don\'t be afraid to ask your supervisor to name a thing or two on which you can improve.This shows your determination to succeed and is a very powerful way to leave on a respectful note.\"
Thank people other than your direct supervisor.
\"Get time with the highest person at the company that you can,\" says Amanda Pouchot, the co-founder of The Levo League, an online social network for young profeional women.\"Ahead of time, ask for a coffee meeting or if you can swing by for fifteen minutes to discu your career goals.Point out what you\'ve accomplished and why you\'ve found working there inspiring and interesting.The best way to leave the meeting is to ask if you can keep him or her updated on your work after your internship ends.\"
Make sure you don\'t just thank the people at the top—aistants and fellow interns have helped you succeed, too.\"Be sure to thank anyone who made an impact on you during your internship,\" says Senderoff.\"There is no stock method of saying goodbye to or thanking too many people.Everyone can appreciate an acknowledgement of how they\'ve have been valuable to you.\"
If you want to give a parting gift, make it stand out.\"Instead of a purchased gift, create something at no cost to show your appreciation or highlight what you\'ve learned from your supervisor,\" says Senderoff.\"It\'s crucial to be unique when saying goodbye.\"
When in doubt, a delicious homemade baked good does the trick.\"If you feel the urge to bring a gift, you can\'t go wrong with food,\" says Caroline Ghosn, the co-founder of The Levo League.
Speak up if you\'re job hunting.\"Start by asking your supervisor for a meeting to discu long-term employment opportunities,\" says Pouchot.\"In that meeting, sell them on you and the work you\'ve done, and how well you fit in within the company culture.You must let them know about your aspirations.\"
Ask your supervisor to put you in touch with someone who works in human resources.\"If you\'re paionate about a company, let them know that you are highly interested in working there—and be specific why,\" adds Jenny Blake, author of Life After College.\"Ask the hiring manager about the best way to keep in touch should any positions open up in the future.Find ways to stay on their radar even if they don\'t have any positions open at the moment.You can follow up in a few months and provide any updates on your end about newfound interests or skills.\"
If you didn\'t have a great experience, take the high road.Unfortunately, not all internships supervisors are attentive and nurturing, and you and may have had limited contact with yours.Even if you didn\'t gain a mentor this summer, you can still benefit from your experience.\"A great way to combat a distant or tense relationship with a bo is to write up a report on everything that you worked on during the summer and send it to your bo,\" says Pouchot.\"You could say, \'I had an amazing time this summer and learned a lot; I thought it might be helpful for me to identify the many things I worked on and what I accomplished under your direction.\' Highlight to him or her what you did and learned.\"
Send a hand-written thank-you note.\"After the internship ends, students should mail out thank-you notes the very next day,\" says Berger.\"It\'s a personal touch that goes a long way.People get so many emails these days—it\'s nice to get a card in the mail and know the student went above and beyond.These notes should be hand-written and just a few sentences.Always thank the employer for their time and reference one or two valuable leons you learned from the experience.\" Stay in touch.\"Make sure that you set up a calendar reminder or a note in your agenda to write a quick email to your employer on a monthly or twice-quarterly basis,\" says Ghosn.\"Spend a half hour looking into what the company has done recently, and write your bo an email that shows that you\'re up to date.For example: \'Hey, I noticed you changed your homepage – I really like it because of X and Y, but I had trouble figuring out Z; do you want me to ask some of my friends to test it out and give you feedback?\' It shows you\'re keeping up with the company and are there to help out with small gestures.\"
Don\'t overthink it! \"It can be something as simple as, \'This case study came up in my marketing cla that reminded me of the work I did this summer,\'\" says Pouchot.
