How to Stand Out at Your Internship: A Cheat Sheet

As young public relations professionals, we always try our best to make a great impression on the employees of the companies that we work for as interns . However, in order to secure stunning letters of recommendation and LinkedIn endorsements, it is important to become the intern your internship coordinators will talk about for semesters to come!

Becoming a stellar intern isn't as difficult as it may seem ,but it does require more than just sitting at your cubicle:

Ask Questions: An internship is as much a learning experience as it is an opportunity to lend your talents to a real-world company. When you are surrounded by professionals who are living your dreams, it can be beneficial to not only ask them questions when they come up about the work you are doing, but also ask them about your dream position and what advice they could give to someone who wishes to follow in their footsteps. Not only will this give you more of an understanding of your career field, but it will show your co-workers that you are serious about your professional life.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for More: It is common for an overseer at an internship to give an intern a bit less work than they are used to in order to see how much they can complete in a day. If the work load is too small and you finish early, don’t be afraid to ask for more. Your coordinator will be impressed by your confidence, and you will be able to get more experience from your internship.

Make Every Second Count: It can be tempting on a slow day to check your social networks or do homework at your internship, but it isn't worth it. You aren't there for downtime, you are there to learn and get as much professional experience as possible. If your coordinator is unable to send you any more assignments at the moment (see above), create your own work! Perhaps while you are researching ideas to improve a company’s social media platforms, you will find something that your coordinator or boss will thank you for later.

Remember, a semester internship is only a few months long, so it is important to use your time wisely and make a great impression on your co-workers and coordinators every day you are in the office.