12 Lessons Learned from 12 Internships

*This article reflects my views alone and does not in any way represent views from the companies with whom I have interned.

Over the past four years, I had three overarching missions: 1) learning as much as possible from my esteemed university professors and classmates, 2) gaining “real world” working experience that would prime me as a job candidate upon graduation and 3) supporting myself financially to graduate with minimal student loan debt. To achieve these goals, I turned to paid internships as a means of providing a steady income while simultaneously applying my classroom learnings to real-life business and communications projects. While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly impacted my post-graduation plans, I have found the time saved by working from home to be a valuable resource to reflect on some of the key lessons I have learned. Hopefully, other interns can find these lessons beneficial for their current and future experiences.

Here are 12 major lessons I have learned from working 12 internships:

#1 The importance of being resourceful 

The ability to think critically and independently has taught me so much more than if I had always asked for help every time I encountered a challenge over the past four years. From my experience, being constantly willing to learn and figuring out how to view a problem/project from all angles has been key in terms of becoming resourceful and achieving the results my employers desired.

#2 How to adapt to new teams and working environments

Starting each new internship meant adapting to a new team and working environment. I found that by placing an early emphasis on getting to know my co-workers and understanding their motivations, I had an easier time identifying the ways I could offer the most support in achieving the greatest impact. While each team has its own personality, after working with twelve different teams, I cannot overstate the importance of learning how to work well with everyone. Figuring out what your team and organization needs and then embodying those skills are keys to success wherever you go.

#3 Develop a bias for action

Owning my projects and developing the habit of thinking ahead and anticipating future needs – and then volunteering to take them on, has helped me achieve success in working on interesting projects. A key part of having a bias for action is never approaching a project as being “too hard.” Stalling in completing these projects, whether major or miniscule, does not help you or your boss. I found success in moving forward by figuring out when and how to to ask for help when I needed it.

#4 Leave your ego at home 

In internships especially, it is not enough to just complete the tasks that are delegated to you because nobody else wants to do them –  you should actively volunteer for these tasks. From my experience, being able to work on more autonomous-level projects results from a level of trust that has been established between you and your supervisor. By demonstrating that you can do the cumbersome work both energetically and flawlessly, not only will your dedication to your role be obvious, but your team will be appreciative and may reward you with more creative tasks.

#5 Invest in your written and verbal communication skills

In my experience, few skills matter more than being able to communicate well. Whether you are writing an internal memo or assembling a client presentation, you need to be able to tailor clear and synthesized information to a broad range of audiences. While some determining factors of success rely on luck and timing, you can learn to improve your communications skills by starting early and practicing often.

#6 Never say no; rather, set priorities 

This is a key lesson I learned early in my career as an intern. When given a new project, I found it helpful to (briefly) lay out my work load with my supervisor and establish priorities together so that I could direct my attention where it mattered most. Always remember: your boss and team’s success is your success. Do all you can to achieve that!

#7 Always be present 

While this lesson was learned by working in-person at an office, it takes on new meaning in the Zoom era of team meetings. Prior to the global pandemic, key aspects of this lesson included showing up to meetings on time and being prepared to contribute and ask relevant questions. As a young employee, I believe these efforts go a long way in showing your excitement and passion about your role and potential at the company. Get comfortable being uncomfortable when raising questions in team or larger organizational meetings. Speaking up with thoughtful contributions shows you are committed to your work.

#8 Get comfortable with data 

In today’s world, everything revolves around data. When I was creating and pitching a new cost-savings plan at Amazon, for example, I had to back up my work with supporting data. Becoming data-fluent and knowing how to interpret data to identify practical solutions will make you an asset on any team. 

#9 Network with everyone 

Some of the best connections I’ve made in the past four years were not the people I worked with directly, but the people I bumped into at the office coffee machine or met by attending internal events like brown-bag luncheons. By being genuinely interested in getting to know everyone at work, I ended up meeting new friends and mentors that I still turn to today, some of which have even helped me land new roles.

#10 Plate permitting, always ask for more 

The more you can maximize the ways in which you demonstrate your value-add to your team, the more successful you will be in any position. I found this lesson to be particularly useful when starting a new internship, as always asking for more is a great way to demonstrate your eagerness and passion about your new role and responsibilities.

#11 Set clear goals for each internship 

When working multiple positions on top of managing full-time course loads, I found it helpful to succeed by setting clear goals for each of my positions. To paraphrase one of my favorite authors, Stephen Covey, always beginning with the end in mind helped to identify what I wanted from each internship. Then, I put together a plan on how to achieve those things. Additionally, I found that seeking and accepting feedback from peers and supervisors helped me avoid falling into a routine and losing sight of any potential blind spots. After setting your goals, be sure to routinely evaluate your performances and identify new ways to add value and contribute to your team.

#12 You are your best advocate

How you present yourself and your skills in each role will be a determining factor of success no matter where you are in your career. My most successful internship experiences have been ones where I’ve shown my team what I am capable of, and have left no regrets behind. Remember that your competitive edge gets lost in complacence, and always push yourself for bigger and better opportunities.

About the author: Kaidlyne Neukam is a May 2020 graduate of the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, DC. Connect with her on LinkedIn to see where she goes next as she continues her full-time job search.