Skills that you should learn at your internship

We have already shown you where to find an internship, and given you some tips on how to land one – but that is just the start. An internship can give you a solid foundation for your future career, but if you don’t focus on developing useful skills, it could be a waste of your time. We believe that when it comes to making the most of your internship, it is not what you do but how you do it. Majoring in Communication & Media doesn’t prevent you from working in a business department, and studying Business Administration doesn’t bar you from internship opportunities in a marketing agency. Don’t be discouraged if you have to do repetitive or simple tasks, but avoid an internship where you are expected to do nothing but brew coffee all day.

Use the resources at UNYP to land your dream internship

Time management

Self-explanatory, you might think, but many young professionals don’t take this aspect into consideration. Your time management skills can make or break your job – without them, all your talent and education will go to waste. Arriving at work and attending meetings on time is just the start – allocating your time smartly will save you from stress, and trust us when we say that this is guaranteed to improve your performance at work. Start by organizing your calendar and writing down your daily schedule.

Prepare for meetings

Never come to a meeting unprepared – even a fifteen-minute stand-up, or a one-on-one with your closest colleague. Being prepared for a meeting can significantly decrease its duration, thus helping your time management. Preparation also gives you more credibility, boosting your reputation in the eyes of colleagues and superiors, and it is crucial for meeting with clients. All meetings have a topic and an objective, so research the topic in advance, prepare your talking points and questions, and you may even want to look up the attendees.

Get to know the work environment

The success of your job also depends on your relationships with coworkers – you don’t want to be an outsider! No one likes a coworker who comes to work and doesn’t socialize with the team. Every workplace has an office culture, and while you should always be yourself, do make an effort to be accepted into the new environment. Even as an intern, you belong to the company so you must follow all the rules, for example the dress code. Join your coworkers for lunch and participate in activities outside work. As well as making your internship more enjoyable, you might make new friends.

Ask for feedback

You are an intern, and no one expects you to be perfect. You are in a safe space where you can learn without serious consequences. Talk to everyone about your performance and listen to the feedback to improve yourself. Ask your supervisor in advance about expectations, and set up regular status meetings to evaluate your progress. Ask your colleagues for advice and learn from them. Learning this system will help you be in control of your progress during your future career, and demonstrate your commitment to your work.

Be honest

Do not shy away from your mistakes, but use them as a learning opportunity. Everyone makes mistakes – even your boss and the highest managers can slip up. But it is crucial to own up to your mistakes! Be honest with your supervisor and colleagues, and analyze what happened so you don’t make the same mistake again. Sometimes coming out clean about an error can save a project, because you can fix it as soon as you know what is wrong. Therefore, when you realize you did something wrong, never hide it. Making a mistake makes you human, but hiding it makes you a coward.

We cannot stress the importance of these skills enough. Learn them during your first internship, and you should be able to expect fast career growth during your first two years of employment. If you are looking for an internship now, reach out to our career office. We always have a list of open offers from various companies, and you can check out the new offers every month in the UNYP Chronicle. We will hold the next Career Days from April 19th to April 22nd 2021, so register now for the latest updates from the job market.