How to Make the Most of an Internship

Man writing

Now that the bottom has fallen out the job market, placements, internship schemes and work experience have never been a more vital part of a student or recent graduate’s life.

A vast proportion of current students will be forced to undertake some kind of placement, probably unpaid voluntary work or short term seasonal jobs, before getting a full-time job.

The nature of work experience can vary greatly, but whether you’re doing a week at your local rag in Christmas downtime or six weeks with Goldman Sachs over the summer, some basic rules will usually apply on how to make the best of your opportunity.

Having undertaken an inordinate amount of internship and work experience placements myself (an unfortunate by-product of following a career in journalism), I know how easy it is to create a bad impression, and how rewarding a placement can be if you approach it with the right attitude.

Below are five tips which should help you out, pooled from my own bitter experiences.

1. The Basics – First Impressions

It may sound like a no brainer, but possibly the most important thing to get right of your whole work experience stint is: don’t be late on your first day!

First impressions have an uncanny knack of sticking, so if you roll in an hour after you were asked to show up, smelling a little bit too much like a few Sunday evening rum and cokes, you’re likely to have an uncomfortable week or two.

Further to that, judging how to appropriately dress is important. Companies won’t always give you a dress code (and if they do, it’s often the impossible to interpret ‘smart-casual’) so think about what kind of company it is, what kind of people they deal with on a day-to-day basis and what kind of image they seek to project. N.B.

Even the most laid-back of work experience hosts probably don’t want you turning up in a skin-tight onesie showing off your chest and your knickers. And that goes for you too, girls.

2. Be Enthusiastic

You don’t have to be all plastic-smiles and jazz-hands, but there’s nothing worse for an employer than a miserable work experience student.

As you may quickly learn, sometimes a company will be woefully unprepared to have you there – they may not have anything worthwhile for you to do or, worse (and this happens), they may not even remember you were coming.

Galling as this may be, it’s vital to remain upbeat, at least on the outside. Even if you feel like a burden to them, don’t exacerbate it by throwing a tantrum at being asked to make the tea, or sitting sullenly at your desk (if you’re lucky) making it clear that filling was not what you had in mind for your week with Sony Publishing – they will remember.

3. Do Your Research

It’s easy to approach work experience as just another line on the CV, but the more you put in, the more you’re likely to get out it. One good way to start is by doing some research into the company before you go.

Hopefully you’ll already have a basic grasp of the line of work which the company does, but a nuanced understanding of their status in comparison to competitors, their goals, and their clients will make you appear well informed and may allow you to impress the bosses with your knowledge.

You could even arrive with some ideas of your own, or at the very least questions to ask. Showing this kind of active interest will set you apart from other’s undertaking work experience.

4. Take Your Chances In and Out of the Working Environment

Again, at the risk of stating the obvious, if you get an opportunity to impress with some serious work or an ideas session, then take it.

Work that extra bit harder to ensure your success, and, if you find you are really struggling to complete a given task, then don’t throw in the towel at the first hurdle.

Is there anyone you know who might be able to help you? Perhaps another member of the staff at the company can give some guidance before you run and tell the boss you ‘can’t do it’.

Use the internet – it knows how to do everything. Second to this, don’t ignore a piece of work given to you in the final day just because you know you’re leaving: it’ll be a sure fire way to ensure you won’t be asked back.

5. Be Social

Finally, ‘opportunities’ don’t just apply to the workplace itself.

If someone at work invites you down to lunch with them, or says to come for staff drinks, then do it. Don’t be shy, or ‘too busy’, as personality can go a long way to making a lasting impression.

By getting to know people in a less formal setting, even in a lunch break, they’ll be more likely to remember you for a reference, or even in a job interview.

Hopefully our tips have given you some ideas how to shine and maximise your work experience. If you are just starting out and seeking your first placement, have you considering doing work experience overseas? These pages will help if it appeals to you:

Internships abroad
Gap year internships