How to crush your internship. Step 1. Understanding internships What is an internship? “Internship” comes from the same root as “internal”—it’s a time to look inward, to explore and gain experience, think critically about your personal development goals, and identify ways to best achieve them. Format: An internship can be as short as 1 month or as long as a year. The format depends on the country and time of year. For example, US internships are often circa 3 months in Spring, Summer or Fall, whereas UK internships could be Summer (10 weeks) or a year long (also known as an industrial placement). There is a wide range of internships out there—paid and unpaid, in an office or remote, domestic or international. There are “extended” and “rotational” internships and co-op opportunities that provide a rolling experience with a company every summer or semester. Why do internships exist? Companies provide internships for several reasons. Though it's not necessary, you may want to ask the recruiter or hiring manager why the company provides internships, in order to help you understand the objective. Reasons generally include: they love to teach and upskill students, they believe an internship provides a well-rounded education (it's not just what you learn in a classroom—it's also putting it into practice!), they benefit from emerging talent, it allows the company to better understand younger talent, and hopefully, because they would like to build a talent pool to hire from. ‘Try before you buy’: This is from both sides of the table. You’ll get to experience life at (in this case, Anaplan) your destination company & they’ll get to see what you are all about too. Step 2. Understanding YOUR internship Ideally before you start, you should build a picture of what your internship will look like so you can mentally prepare for what’s ahead of you. Things to consider could be: • What days will you work? How many days per week? How many hours per day? Is there an expectation that you will be available outside of those hours? • Who is your manager? Who is in charge of your projects? Do they oversee a business, or do they run an internship program? • Is there a formal internship program (with a whole cohort of other students/interns) or are the internships more on an ad hoc basis? • If there are other interns, will you get a chance to work and socialize with them? • Is there a formal mentorship program offered? • Is your role primarily in an office, virtual, or on location? • Will you be expected to travel as part of your internship? We’d recommend you trying to find out as much as you can about your role too. You could ask: • • • • • • • What will my day-day role look like? What’s NOT included? How much flexibility do we have? How much impact can we have on the projects we are exposed to? Where can I look up reviews of the internships at the company? What teams will I encounter during my internship? What do you hope I will have completed by the end? Could this convert to a full-time offer? • If so, what will that decision be based on? Step 3. Set yourself goals & challenges Now that you’ve got a good image of your internship, it’s time to set yourself some goals for what you want to gain from the experience. A rule of thumb we’d recommend is: Clear is kind, and the more clarity you have with yourself and your manager, the better. Some examples are below Step 4. Start your internship right… Standards and Expectations Every company will have different standards and expectations and so it’s hard for us to provide a ‘one size fits all’ approach to this but this is a sample of what we’ve seen and is not reflective of any particular company. Your company will likely have a Code of Conduct that you will have to review and sign prior to starting or on arrival. Remember that you are in a professional environment whenever you are in the building or on a company outing/event. Be courteous and responsible in remembering the following: • If you are working in an office, it’s best to keep a neat desk with as little “clutter” as possible. • Be mindful of work-appropriate interactions through both physical and verbal interactions. • Be mindful of your attire • Ask if there is a dress code. If there is a range, dress comfortably but for success/ • Be mindful of work entertainment • Listening to music during work can be a great way to stay motivated and productive, but don’t get carried away (check with friends/roommates if your music can be heard outside of your headphones and possibly distract others). • Avoid online content that is distracting or inappropriate (we know how addictive scrolling is!) • Think before you speak • If you walk around saying, “I have nothing to do!” then be aware of who is listening, if you don’t have any work to be getting on with, you could: • Ask your manager for any ideas as to what you should work on next. • Pursue a project that you believe will benefit the company and/or your future self. • Create something new. • Ask someone from your department if you can help with any of their current projects. • Be fearless • If you have an idea, put it forward. Nobody ever won anything playing it safe! Step 4. Tips & tricks pt.1 Nowadays, most companies are super flexible, but don’t take this for granted. Always communicate with your manager and team and be ready to contribute from the off, every day. You’re not tied to the work you’re given. You’ll be given opportunities to explore, BUT, it’s also on your to get yourself involved, so offer to pitch in whenever, wherever. Striking a balance between working and networking is tough, but it’s essential. Small talk is great because it helps you build relationships. Be curious and be social as networking can be the difference between feeling part of the team and not. Taking notes feels like school again, we know, but it’s proven to ensure information hits home and stays where it’s needed… in your brain! Whether it’s in a notebook or on your laptop, taking notes also signals to others that you value their time and insights. We’ve all been there. Someone says something three times and you still have no clue. Normally, you can likely ‘wing it’, but in the work environment, it’s incredibly important that you fully understand any request, project or function, before you get to work. Try to think P.L.F.T when you walk away from a meeting. Purpose: do you understand the purpose of your proposed actions. Learn: What will you learn by doing so? Final: What should the final product look like? Timeline: How long do you have to complete it. Step 4. Tips & tricks pt.2 When you begin, there’s going to be so many new tools and information, coming at you, thick and fast. Take time to learn how these tools and systems work. Ask for ’standard operating procedures’, guidebooks, onboarding tools & educational videos. PRO TIP: If you can’t find any of the above, make one and share it with your fellow interns and hiring teams. It could save a future intern a lot of time. Everyone is busy… BUT this doesn’t mean you should feel bad messaging or calling them. They will be prepared for your onboarding and so, communicate with your manager everyday. Whether it’s email, Slack or phone call, keep them updated & keep in touch. It’s always better to get the ‘silly questions’ in sooner, rather than later, you’d rather know if something is wrong on Day 3 than Month 3, right? Don’t worry about asking them either, there’s no such thing as a silly question! We should all be striving for continuous improvement, but it’s easy to stagnate. One easy way to find things to work on is to ask for feedback. Whether it’s your manager, your team or a recent project team, all feedback is useful. In this new way of life…and working, we are still getting used to working remotely. In this situation, the importance of clear communication TRIPLES! Ensure you: • • • • Log into meetings early Use your video camera (if you are comfortable) Put a profile picture on your accounts Don’t skip the non-work meetings (happy hours, trivia games etc). Words from the wise: What others before, want to share. Words from the wise… We’ve asked ex-intern cohorts who’ve gone before you to share their best advice for future interns & here is what they said. I think we could ALL learn from these, not just you! Note that not all responses were included and some responses have been tweaked for clarity & grammar. Overall principles • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Poke around, ask questions and build relationships Become comfortable with bothering people, you’ll learn a lot more if you’re not worried Don’t compromise your values Be honest Be yourself Always dare to try and don’t focus on perfection Speak up, know your voice is valued, they hired YOU for a reason Don’t wait for instruction, take initiative & feel empowered Be coachable Stay curious, constantly challenge thinking and be polite Be accountable for your experience. Regardless of the foundation laid out by the company or team, only you can make the most of it Go in with the attitude of ‘learn it all’ rather than ‘know it all’ Take a break if you feel overwhelmed and remember that soon, you’ll be up-skilled and ready to rock Action trumps intent, do it, don’t just think about it Accept that you will make mistakes, don’t be too hard on yourself. Be accountable and make sure it doesn’t happen again, that’s called learning. Reflect, constantly! You’re not going to have the solution to every problem and that’s okay! If it was that easy, it wouldn’t be a problem! Focus on giving, and not receiving Take the time to plan your day, you’ll thank me later! Clarify EVERYTHING! Plan your legacy… how will you make this internship better for the next interns. Above all else: learn, contribute and… have fun! It’ll go quicker than you ever imagined.
