How to ace your Summer Internship

Understand Your Role

As a summer intern, it's important to understand your role and what is expected of you. You may be working in an entry-level position or on a team with other interns and full-time employees.

If there are gaps in knowledge or confusion about your responsibilities, don't be afraid to ask questions! If no one has given you instructions yet--or if they have but they aren't clear--it's okay for an intern (or even an entry-level employee) to ask for clarification from someone more senior than themselves.

Be Proactive

• Be proactive. When you're an intern, you have the opportunity to make your own schedule and decide what tasks you want to take on. If there's something that needs doing and no one else is volunteering for it, offer your services!
• Volunteer for additional tasks. If there's a task that needs doing but no one has stepped up yet (for example: organizing all of the files in a cabinet), volunteer yourself as well as offer help when needed.
• Take initiative when asked for input or feedback. If someone asks for your opinion about something related to your internship experience--whether it be how things are going at work or how they could improve--be honest but positive with them; this will show them that you're eager and willing without being negative or condescending toward anyone else involved in making decisions about what happens next year during summer break again!

Create a Positive First Impression

• Be on time.
• Dress professionally
• Be friendly and polite to everyone you meet.

Be Flexible

• Be open to new ideas.
• Be willing to take on tasks outside of your scope.
• Be willing to take on additional responsibility.
• Be willing to help out where needed, even if it's not exactly your job description or area of expertise.

Remember Names

As you meet new people, it's important to remember their names. The easiest way to do this is by introducing yourself and using name tags. If no name tags are available, ask someone if they would mind introducing themselves again when they introduce themselves to you. This will help you remember their name better in the future!

Use LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile is a great place to start. If you don't have one, create one now! It's easy, free, and will help you connect with potential employers and other professionals in your industry. Once you've created your profile, make sure that all of the information is accurate (including education history) so that people can find out more about what makes you awesome.

Once that's done, take some time to connect with people from previous internships or jobs--even if they're not directly related to what interests you now--because these connections could come in handy later on down the road when applying for full-time positions at those companies or organizations. You never know who might know someone who knows someone else...and so on!