7 Signs Your Summer Internship Went Wrong!

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Summer is the time when you as a student take your vacation or do something useful for your future career, such as doing an internship. Summer internship can be one of the best experiences for you, as it is very beneficial to increase your skills. However, sometimes it can also be very boring and not very useful. When that happens, you need to do everything you can to get your summer internship back on track. The very first thing to do is to recognize when your summer internship have gone wrong, with this several indicators.

1. You are not proactive enough

The workload in the office, during your summer internship, can be unpredictable. In some department, it can be very busy, while it can be very relaxed in other departments. When you have finished your project, you should be proactive by asking your colleagues for more tasks to do, rather than just sitting there and doing nothing at the office. Moreover, it does not hurt to ask other departments as well if there is anything you can do to help. By doing more work, you can learn more and contribute more to the company.

If there is any task or project that you can propose to your internship company, such as doing a market research, competitor analysis, and customer satisfaction survey, do not hesitate to propose it to the company. Create a good project to be written in your resume and to be shared later when you are applying for a full time job after you graduate.

2. You do not know your colleague

Moving to a new working environment, where you do not know anyone, can be very awkward to some people, especially if you are an introvert. Be friendly and try to get to know as many people as you can at the office. Just something as simple as hanging out together after office hour or going to grab lunch together during the break time, can help you to introduce yourself and start making connections.

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From nordic.businessinsider.com

Get to know everyone from the highest position at the office to the lower level employees. Make friend with literally everyone, because you will never know what that person can be for you in the future. They can become your professional reference or even your friend! Do not be shy and try to get out of your comfort zone, greet everyone and smile.

3. You learn nothing

Internship is the one of the best ways to learn and implement what you have learnt at school into a practical work. You can learn from the expert in the industry, such as your supervisor and colleagues, with whom you will be able to ask any questions you have about the industry you are interested in.

In addition, you will also learn communication and interpersonal skills as well as how to work in a team, how to create a powerful presentation, and even how to deal with difficult clients.

4. You are afraid of negative feedback

When you are an intern and have no experience, it is very common to receive some feedbacks or inputs regarding your performance, whether it is a positive or negative feedback. When you receive a positive feedback about your work, please keep up and always strive for the best. However, when you receive a not-so-good feedback, do not be discouraged. Instead, think of it as a motivation to improve yourself. As Ken Blanchard said “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – so, if you want to be successful in the future, you need to open yourself to criticism and listen to people when they give you some inputs.

5. You do not know about yourself

Every job needs different skills. When you are applying for a job, most people will start from what they like and what they can do (their skills!). Summer internship is the right moment to get to know yourself better, such as what your skill is, what job suits you best, and what type of working environment you prefer.

During the internship, you definitely need to explore more about yourself. After the internship, some interns might figure out that their major actually do not suit them anymore, or they can simply find out what kind of job position they enjoy best. It is very important to get to know yourself and pursue what you like best for your future career. Trust me that when you are enjoying what you do, you will not feel bored or being forced to work.

6. You are not having fun

During your summer internship, when you arrive at the office and only 10 minutes have passed but you feel like you have already been sitting there for 3 hours, that is a problem! Try to be happy and have fun at the workplace, no matter what the condition is. If you need to step out of your comfort zone, then do it and have fun. It will be difficult in the first place, but it is all worth it.

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From fthmb.tqn.com

7. You are not updating your credentials

Last but not least, after your summer internship ends, be sure to update your credentials such as your resume, Linkedin profile, and portfolio. You can include some projects that you did during your summer internship program and list what kind of achievement and tasks that you did for the project. Make sure you do not include the confidential information of the host company though!

In addition to the credentials, it is recommended to ask for reference letter or certification letter or recommendation letter from your supervisor after the program. These letters are very useful when you apply for the next internship or full time job in the future.

Hope you enjoy your summer internship and make it one of the best experiences in your life!

Featured image taken from www.spoyl.in

 

 

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