By Frits Bigham, Assistant Director, Internships & Assessment
It is mid-July, for all the interns out there you
are most likely more than halfway through your summer internship
experience. Hopefully you have had a great experience so far and feel
like you are learning new things but also adding value
to the company you are working for. Also, this is critical time to
reflect on your internship. What have you enjoyed, learned, or even
disliked? Do you like the office environment and culture? Would you
consider working for the organization as a full
time employee? Why or why not? The more time you spend reflecting and
learning through self-discovery what you desire in an organization or
job the better likelihood you will make more informed decisions
regarding your career after college.
Further and most importantly, what do you want to
make sure you absorb during your last month at your internship? Here
are some questions to help you think of what you want to accomplish
during your second half of your internship:
Have you been able to effectively network and get
to know those within the organization? If not, it is not too late! Go
ahead and ask that person you have been thinking about reaching out to
if they are free grab some coffee.
Do you have a final project within your
internship? If so, make sure you share your findings with all that you
have worked with. Also, even if you do not have a specific final
project it is important you share your findings from any project
(s) you have worked on and also any new ideas you have come up with.What types of projects or new skills do you want to
learn or even master before your internship end date?
Have you been
able to learn as much as you first thought when you accepted the
position? This is a great time to have a conversation
with your supervisor regarding this topic. The last thing you want to
say when your internship is over is “I wish I had the opportunity to..”
or “I was supposed to work on a project but…”. Moreover, it might not
be a project or learning a new skill that
you are looking for. It very well might be just exposure to a
different role or department. However, for any of this to occur you
need to have a conversation with your supervisor about what you hope to
gain from the second half of your internship.
Finally, have you updated your LinkedIn profile
with your current role within the organization? It is important to stay
connected with those in the organization you have worked with. Also,
you might be able to find others in the organization
who also went the University of Miami (Canes will help other Canes!
Reach out to them!)
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