Cheers to internships

I am a huge fan of internships, for the professional and human experience they can bring to everyone involved. These are my thoughts 20 years after my own internship in Annecy, France ended and I embarked upon my own wiggly career path into global communications:

As an intern:

• Use it for what it is – a test! If you don’t love your internship, that’s ok. It was still a valuable experience because it taught you what you don’t want to do.
• See it as an opportunity to learn about work AND MORE – going from full/part-time student to full/part-time employee isn’t just about executing new tasks, it’s also waking up on time, greeting your colleagues every day, socializing, participating in meetings, prioritizing, using new software, meeting new people, setting boundaries between work and personal time…so many life skills! One of the simple key skills I learned was how to pick up the phone and speak French without breaking out into a cold sweat (back when people called each other’s extension numbers and phones had cords…)
• Push the boundaries – this is the opportunity to learn about a company in its entirety. Ask everyone questions, request to get involved in projects that interest you, even if it’s just as an observer. Try to meet people and quite simply ask what they do so you get the bigger picture of the company. Most will have a great time telling you about their job over a coffee, and it gives you more pieces of the puzzle that will help you figure out where you might fit.
• You don’t need to be an expert – make sure you’re clear during the interview process on what you can offer, what you’re hoping to get out of your internship, and try to figure out more how your future manager will take care of you. If you’re being expected to do jobs that are far beyond your capabilities, that’s the manager’s problem, not yours (and it’s probably not an intern they need after all). On the contrary, if you are bored out of your mind doing remedial tasks, don’t hesitate to speak up too.?
• Stay humble! You don’t need to prove yourself by trying to be right all the time or that you know everything.
• Ask questions about the future early – if you’re interested in prolonging your internship or seeing it transform into full-time employment, make it clear. It might give your manager more time to explore options for you, give them the opportunity to observe you in a slightly different way or even challenge you on something new. Also, don’t take it the wrong way if it doesn’t work out – if you leave a good impression, you might just be called back in the future if a new opportunity does pop up.
• Stay in touch – I am so happy to hear updates from my previous interns, it makes me so proud! And I’ve given glowing references to many of them, so keeping the connection somehow is always a good idea.As an intern’s manager:
• Be clear on the scope of the internship – make it clear what the intern can get out of the role. Something too broad and big might be overwhelming and not actually help them develop or apply many of their skills. Something that sounds to you quite small or specific might actually be fascinating for someone who is totally new to your company or role.
• Internships are a great way to get your existing team to level up – supervising or mentoring an intern can take your team members to a whole new level as they learn to delegate, support and be responsible for results in collaboration with another person. In my opinion it’s a great way to see if someone is cut out for managing more people in the future. I’m not saying you should use interns as guinea pigs, but if you have a feeling that someone has what it takes to grow into management, or needs the impetus to take their perspective on their role to a more senior level, supporting an intern can be a great place to start.
• An intern is not just another regular employee. An intern can’t just be handed a list of tasks and be expected to perform ( to be clear, a regular employee shouldn't be treated that way either, but you get what I mean!). If you’re looking for a time-saving solution or another person on the team to get more done, the intern is not the answer. But if you’re willing to break down tasks, guide, encourage, leave space for mistakes and celebrate even the smallest successes, then internships can be incredibly rewarding, for everyone involved. And I think they can teach us to manage everyone with more empathy too.
• Level the playing field – keep your intern involved as much as you possibly can. I sincerely believe in transparency, and whilst there may be some things you have to keep confidential, in general I feel strongly that an intern should be an integral part of the team, able to share their updates, achievements, to do list just the same as their “permanent” colleagues. Invite them to team events, allow them the same benefits as other employees as much as possible… by trusting them and treating them as fully fledged employees, they’ll get there even more quickly. One of my team’s current interns pointed out that keeping a positive team spirit and working environment is another way of ensuring that your interns will flourish, that the human connection is just as important as the professional.?
• Remember your previous interns and keep them in mind for future positions - you already know how they work and if you have an open position in the future, they might be a great way to fill it.

So enjoy it, whether it lasts just a few months or much longer. You will have an immeasurable impact on each others' career - make it positive!