6 Lessons from 6 Months as an Amazon Intern (WFH edition ??)

With summer internship season coming up in Australia, I wanted to share a few takeaways from my internship experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS)! No two internships are the same but I hope these tips will be helpful if you're a student starting an internship virtually this summer. ??

(Although I work at AWS, my views/opinions are my own.)

Lesson 1: Be an Intern, but not just an Intern.

Be an intern - be curious and willing to learn... but never think "I can't do this, I'm just an intern". Saying yes to opportunities that challenge you (even if you don't feel qualified or confident) will allow you to learn a tremendous amount.

Lesson 2: Set up virtual coffee chats with people outside your team.

Spend some time each day connecting with people outside your team. As an intern, you have access to the calendars of some amazing, inspiring colleagues - so definitely use this opportunity to schedule 1:1 chats to hear about their career journeys and ask any questions you have.

Lesson 3: Follow up with people you connect with.

In order to build meaningful relationships, especially during WFH, it's important to follow up. Sending a quick message regularly to check up on people you've interacted with, helps to establish an on-going connection. "Can I set up some time for next week to catchup?" is also great question to ask after an initial coffee chat.

Lesson 4: Set goals to develop your skills, and let others know about them.

Goal-setting is something you've probably heard over and over again, but the key is to let your manager / colleagues know about them. By being open about what skills you want to develop during the internship, others will be able to point you to the right resources and think of you when an opportunity to develop the skill comes along.

Lesson 5: Ask for feedback regularly, not just at the end.

Formal feedback is usually provided towards the end of an internship, but be sure to check in regularly with your manager and people you work with, to see if you're on the right track. By doing this, you'll know what you are doing well in and what areas you can work on - so that you get the chance to improve as you go along the internship.

Lesson 6: Have fun!

Time flies by really fast during summer internships, so remember to relax and have fun. Participate in as many intern events and team bonding activities as you can - because in the end, those are the memories you will remember :)

Thanks for reading, I hope you found this helpful! Comment below your thoughts.??

I'm a 3rd year Information Systems student studying at UNSW and an Intern at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Please feel free to reach out if you'd like to chat!