How to Ace Your Summer Internship: 5 Tips from an Internship Addict.

Now I'm no expert, but I'm definitely an internship addict. Over the past few years, I've spent my summers interning at countless firms across London, New York and Berlin. From global advertising agencies like M&CSaatchi, to corporate consultancies like BCG, to startup clone factories like the infamous Rocket Internet.

To maximise your success, I've learnt that cultivating long-term relationships, making friends and gaining future mentors should be your main priorities. Believe me, I've done enough coffee runs and pointless admin projects to know that the value derived from an internship almost exclusively depends on your social interactions.

So without further ado, here are my 5 most valuable tips for making the most out of your internship this summer:

5. Live in the Coffee Section

Interning should be about immersing yourself in a workplace as much as possible, and there’s no better doorway to understanding than having an informal chat over a coffee. Try to learn something specific about the people you’re working with, and their job within the company. Most importantly, remember you’re there to learn, not show off - pay attention to staff at all levels, because they’ll all have something useful to say.

On that note...

4. Listen & Take Notes

Knowing what to listen for can add value to even the shortest conversations. Listening to how people actually speak - the vocabulary they use to talk about the industry, the buzzwords, the ways they address each other - will inform you of the 'chat' needed to fit in and excel in the business.

Equally, showing someone you’ve listened to them and thought about what they said will make them a million times more interested in you.

For example, I recently got in touch with a senior executive at one of my past internship placements. We only met once for a 20 minute coffee, and that was over three years ago. A couple of weeks ago I reached out to him and made sure to mention this weird analogy he used in that short conversation that really stuck with me.

He was impressed that I remembered such an obscure and seemingly minor detail, and ended up having a catch-up coffee with me where he gave invaluable insights into the advertising industry - guidance which is essential for me now I'm heading up WOAW.

3. Make Connections, but Don’t be a Muggy Megan

Following on from the last point, it’s worth saying that obviously internships are a great way to get connections in a field of interest. The thing is, everyone knows that, and every intern tries to get as many as possible. Sadly, if you try to make an industry contact with everyone you meet, you’ll come across as insincere and transactional and, most likely, people will forget you.

Instead, go in with genuine questions and interests about a business, and try to form some real connections. You might not get to talk to everyone, but you’ll definitely learn something interesting along the way.

2. Take The Bins out (with a smile)

There is, of course, no escaping the fact the majority of your time will be spent doing your sector’s equivalent of taking the bins out. There’s nothing you can do about it, so just accept it. Whether it's trekking half way across London to deliver a package, picking up coffee for colleagues or compiling tedious spreadsheets, it needs to be done. Do whatever you’re asked to do to the best of your ability and, most importantly, do it with a smile.

1. Share Your Experience!

If you went through the arduous process of applying for an internship, it's likely that others did too - they'll be interested to hear what it's actually like.

Sharing your experiences on LinkedIn is an absolute golden ticket. By giving your thoughts - good, bad, funny, insightful - you’ll look switched on, enthusiastic, intelligent and proactive. You don’t need to boast, just share an experience and casually name drop the firm you're working at, the event you attended, or the industry specialist you spoke to.

Oh, and if it’s your first time posting, feel free to send me a message to proof read it. Or just tag me in the post itself and I'll comment something supportive.

... And that's it!

If you found this post even slightly useful, your friends might too - make sure to tag them in the comments.

Happy interning!