Internships: 5 Things you should consider to before the summer intern season hits.
From February to April, university students across the world are securing/'struggling to secure' coveted summer internship roles at firms in their respective disciplines. This is a strenuous, exhausting, stressful and pain-in-the-ass-period when exams, thesis papers and final group projects are live and top of mind.
I've been recently asked about how to approach this and what I did when I was in this hot seat. My experience was unusual for some, but very typical for many others. I was waiting tables at a Bar & Grill restaurant each and every summer - saving money to pay my own school's tuition. My 'internship' critical life lessons such as:
"Don't f*ck with people who handle your food."
"The Customer is always right and no, tip is NOT included Sir"
"Bus boys/girls and Waitstaff are on their feet, running marathons each and every day"
Get the hell out of the kitchen if you can't handle the heat. You. Will. Be. Cut. and. Burned."
"If you're treated like sh*t by a customer, don't fret, the next one can always be worse!"
You can see from the movie reference very clearly how quickly and how much you could learn with this hands-on training OUTSIDE of a corporate desk environment.
So, without further adieu, here are 5 things to consider before your internship application:
- Don't Stress - Think Big Picture
You are very early in your career, what you do this summer internship will not define you. Focus on discovering what you are passionate about, something you'll actually spend time and a project that is worth switching your phone on silent for:
Find anything you are remotely interested in, not just a 'swipe right' trend or hobby.
Once this is considered, LinkedIn the sh*t out of it and network to find people who can connect you to the right people and companies. Pro-activity is sought after in any industry - it means you're driven and willing to pursue something.
2. Two Months is barely any time to accomplish or make a large impact
Might be a bit glass half empty, but it is true. Don't think you'll complete a deal or see a project through - your best bet is to make an impact on a few team members and not mess anything up so you can get a nice reference letter. Try to find opportunities where they can have you working on a small but meaningful task or shadow a key project member.
3. Don't worry about the He Said She Said - Carve your own path
Again, many people in your cohort will have internships already. Don't panic. Everyone has their own path and don't let that cause you extra stress. Life is not over if you miss out - you can always take summer courses, enjoy the university campus in the beautiful summertime when it's less crowded! Just learn something new, a language, an instrument, new hobby, volunteer and give back.
4. Pair Your Interests + Global Thematics
Do yourself a favor and draw an old school Venn diagram about A) What you're interested in B) Global Thematics - industries / sectors that will have a heavy impact on humans for the next 10 years. See what is in common and use those as your first priority to find internship roles or apply for learning courses in these areas. This is a useful site: AXA Evolving Economy
5. Choose a place where you can Network Network Network
This means putting yourself in the environment that you know you'll meet people no matter what you're doing. If you lock yourself up in a desk job, you'll likely only work with a handful of people and not be quite as exposed as you could if you found a role that deals with meeting new people on a daily basis.
At the end of the day, my thought is, as a young person, the most value you'll give yourself is to Gain Confidence in Yourself - this comes with a high volume of human interactions, providing you with diversity in culture and thought. This increases your ability in being able to develop meaningful relationships and make smart decisions sooner in your life.
Learn how to Learn first so you can work smart, make an impact, and then pass it forward.
If you feel like any of the above resonates with you or you'd like to learn more, please don't hesitate to DM me in LinkedIn. I'm based in Hong Kong and have a unique East meets West mentality. I am still very much a Millennial so I'm not out of touch with the 'youth of today', yet very well entrenched with senior industry professionals.
THANKS FOR READING!