What I Learned as an Intern This Summer
It’s the most common question I have been asked, “What did you learn at your internship?”
Well, about 480 hours later, what did I learn? It’s pretty easy to say I learned to work normal office hours, corporate etiquette, or that I networked all day long. But more than that, I found some profound take-aways from my experience that will impact my entrance into the “real” world — and hopefully yours as well.
It’s not always about what you did; sometimes it’s about how you did it.
As an intern, you have to recognize that you will not love every task or even an entire project that you get assigned. Still, there is always something to learn and ways to grow that you might not have expected. The internship I received was set up around each department of the company assigning a summer project to each intern randomly. Some of which had to do with making a new webpage, a competitor analysis, pricing negotiation with vendors; or in my case, managing holiday product flow, inventory, and sales. After several weeks of comparing my project with the projects of other interns, I became frustrated. I was upset that my skillset and major did not lend itself to be extremely successful in my summer project. I was also frustrated as I felt I could have been more successful at another intern’s project instead of my own. I began to realize that there was so much more to the internship than my project, and I could cultivate an amazing experience even if I did not feel confident in my project. I snapped myself out of my funk and in my free time, I began shadowing job positions I was interested in, asking individuals out to coffee to learn more about their experience, and overall engaging those around me more than I had before.
This was a pivotal moment for me as my confidence grew, and I gained so much more out of my experience. Never underestimate the power of hard work and a good attitude — it landed me a full-time job offer!
Your major does not define your career.
During my summer internship, I had the opportunity to speak with executives from different areas of the company, and I absorbed every last ounce of advice they could give. The overarching theme? Your major does not define your career. While I had heard this before, it was typically implied that a Marketing Minor could become a Copywriter, never anything extreme. Yet, the executives I had the chance to speak with had gone from the Pharmaceutical Field to CEO, or Engineering to head of Merchandising. They brought a whole new meaning to the phrase for me. The executives left all the interns with some advice to “never turn down an opportunity” and to “diversify your learning opportunities.”
”Avoid going straight up the ladder,” one said, because “there is so much learning to be done along the way.”
When you leave the comforting walls of your university, don’t turn down a job opportunity because it does not fit the description of your major. Explore all and any of your interests because there is always more to learn!
The company culture makes a world of difference.
Aside from your day to day work, the company’s culture impacts you the greatest. A lot of people speak to the importance of good company culture, but you never really know what you were missing out on until you experience something better. A set of company “pillars” shouldn’t be taken at face value either. Sometimes an organization won’t back up their words with actions. I want to be convinced that a company not only has outstanding ethics but is doing everything in their power to act on them regularly before I think about starting a career there.
I was so happy to find a company with core values I could be proud of. Over the course of my internship experience, I got to take part in giving back to the community countless times. Not just signing a check and waving my company flag, but I got to engage with the communities in which the company served, and listen to their needs to find out how we can better serve them. It was a really powerful experience to see a company so dedicated to the customer.
Finding a good employer can only be decided by you. Everyone has differing opinions, so when you go to interviews, don’t be afraid to ask about the company values and how they demonstrate them. We will spend too much of our lives at the place we work not to feel happy with the company’s values. It will make for a happier and more productive you! Also, look for a company that invests in its workers. College is not the end of learning, so it is a great perk when your job offers you classes and other learning opportunities to refine your skillset.
Overall, I am grateful for how I was challenged through my internship. Every internship experience I have had is extremely different, and it is up to you to make the most out of the internship you earn. And who knows — It might land you a full-time job after!
About Annica
Annica Steen is a senior at GVSU studying Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Marketing. This year, Annica is serving as GrandPR’s Programing Director and a member of PRSSA. In her free time, she enjoys photography, taking coffee classes, and cooking.