The Final Countdown: Semester Internship Recap
So, it is the end of the semester, which means winter 2021 internships are coming to a close. Sometimes when you are in an internship, you forget to reflect and collect important work you have done.
Here are my tips to wrapping up your internship effectively:
Collect your work in one spot
Throughout the course of your internship, you have worked on so many tasks and projects that have helped you sharpen your skills. These are perfect materials to keep for your portfolio, job applications, and other opportunities to showcase your work experience.
Make sure to ask permission before taking these materials, in case it involves confidential information. In my experience, most employers are more than willing to let you use the materials.
Once you are able to, export the work and store it all in a folder on your computer. Keeping it together all in one space will help for easy access and organization.
Do not wait until the last minute to do this. Try to get a little ahead and not cram this into the last few days of your internship.
Connections, connections, connections
One great perk of an internship is the network it gives you.
Make sure to save all of your team’s emails and contact information. You never know when you will want to reach out about a job recommendation, for advice, or just to catch up.
Another great area for connections is even outside of your department. You never know the connections they may have or what advice they could give. Ask to set up a 15 minute phone call or coffee chat. Make sure you take advantage of the network your internship offers you.
LinkedIn is your networking bestie. Connect with everyone you have formed a relationship with throughout your internship to stay in touch.
Thank you’s
Internships are an opportunity to grow and learn. Through this, you most likely had important people helping to guide and teach you.
Make sure to send them a thank you note or something similar to express your gratitude and what you specifically learned over the course of the internship. This lets them know how you appreciate them and the direct impact they made for you. Also be sure to mention that you would like to stay connected with them.
Take a step back
Internships are a lot of work. You put in both energy and time into the experience.
Make a list of all of the projects you worked on, skills you learned, and people you met.
Now take some time to be proud of your hard work and how far you have come.
No matter your internship experience, even if it was bad, it taught you something. Tune into that and realize just how much you have grown.
We are so close to the end! Just keep pushing through these next few weeks and make the most of your internship. Make sure to try out these tips and reflect on your internship experience!
About Morgan:
Morgan Layne is a senior at Grand Valley State University, studying advertising and public relations. She is currently serving as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for GrandPR this semester. Morgan also is the Communications Intern for the Grand Valley State University Advertising and Public Relations Program.