Starting an internship can be scary. You’re (sometimes) in a new city, surrounded by new people, starting at a new company. Everything is new. It’s also such an exciting time. You’re doing it – you’re embarking on the next steps of your career journey.
But how do you make the most of it?
Allison Coopersmith, Senior Software Engineer-extraordinaire and a stellar internship mentor, mapped out her recommendations during an exclusive RTC webinar. We’re here to give you a high-level overview of what she discussed. Still, we recommend watching it for yourself (it’s only available to RTC members) because she goes into so much more, especially during the Q&A section at the end.
Before we get into it, a quick disclaimer: you do not have to do everything. These suggestions are just that—suggestions. Use what makes the most sense for your goals.
First Things First
A quick, easy way to impress your manager and stand out as proactive is to send a quick “Hi, I’m so excited to get started” email. Sending an email lets them know who you are, your excitement about joining the team, and a great starting point for the remainder of your internship.
What To Do On Your First Day
On your first day, you should find out who, what, where, and why of your internship. You want to know everything you need as early as possible to get the most out of it.
You’ll want to ask your manager:
- Who is responsible for assigning you work: is it one person? Multiple people?
- Will you have a mentor? If not, who will you go to when you get stuck on technical issues?
- Tips for excelling in the role
- What did previous interns do that made them successful?
You’ll also want to start meeting the team. Be proactive, even if they don’t approach you. Share your technical interests and your ambitions! This is key to networking and building relationships with those around you.
The First Few Weeks
One of the first things you’ll want to establish is having regular one-on-one meetings with your manager. This will be a time for you to gain career guidance, check in about your performance, and share any roadblocks and challenges you experience. Remember: one-on-one meetings are for you, so utilize them in a way that will most benefit you. Allison says in her webinar, “[These meetings are] not about your manager; they’re about you. If you show up with topics, you’ll get way more out of it than letting your manager fill it with dead air.”
Communication, especially early on in your internship, is a massive part of making the most of your internship experience. You’ll want to communicate when you need more work, when you need help, and when you need more support.
Halfway Through Your Internship
You’ve made it to the halfway point of your internship! By this point, you should:
- Ask for constructive feedback on your performance
- Ask to a shadow teammate who is doing interesting work
- Start networking outside your team (you should continue networking inside your team!)
Allison also recommends that you start practicing timeboxing around this time. Essentially, this skill allows you to estimate how long a specific task should take. It isn’t easy to learn, but it’s really important so that you can identify when you’re struggling with problems on your own and when you need to reach out for help.
Receiving Feedback
Receiving feedback can make you feel uneasy, but assuming that everyone has good intent and is trying to help you grow takes away some of that fear. Not to diminish your experience, but giving feedback is complex, and the person giving you feedback is likely trying to give it to you in the best way possible, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Accepting and acting on feedback will help you grow.
Here are some ways to get the most out of feedback:
- Ask for specific examples
- Brainstorm ways to implement feedback
- Ask for help in implementing feedback
- Review the Situation-Behavior-Impact framework from the Center for Creative Leadership
End of the Internship
Before you know it, you’ve reached the end of your internship! Whether your internship was a positive experience or fell short in some areas, if you’ve followed through on at least some of these steps, you’ll have tried to make it the best it could be and help it have the most significant impact on your abilities and future career.
Interested in other RTC member’s internships? Take a look at some of their own stories:
If you’re an RTC member, check out Allison’s webinar, in which she goes into even more detail and answers member questions! If you’re not a member, what are you waiting for? Join our community of over 35,000 women and gain access to killer resources, advice, and a Slack community that hypes women up on the daily.