How to make the most of an internship

Looking for advice on how to prepare for an internship and how to be a great intern once you start the role? We’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we focus on how to make the most of an internship by taking you through our top tips:

• Pick a good opportunity
• Be proactive
• Speak up
• Build your network
• Treat it like an extended job interview

The first step to a successful internship is picking the right placement. When you’re considering applying for a role, think about why you want to do an internship and what you want to achieve. While the answer is simple if you’ve bagged a law vacation scheme, many placements are more fluid and aren’t part of such a strict pipeline into an industry.

In most sectors, you’ll have a little more flexibility to choose between different opportunities. You can choose to go for a company you like or target a certain role. That’s why it’s vital to know what you’re looking for.

Do you want to grow your skills, experiences, contacts or all three? If the internship isn’t going to satisfy your goals, you might need to rethink your plan. You want your internship to be worth the effort.

Of course, you won't know exactly how useful an internship will be until you get into it. It’s OK if it isn’t what you expect once you start. Learning about what you don’t like is just as important as what you do. Plus, even if your internship helps you realise that a certain career isn't for you, you'll still have picked up valuable transferable skills, professional know-how and commercial awareness.

If you can’t find an internship that aligns with your goals and interests, or you don't manage to secure an opportunity, try spending your time working a part-time job or expanding your skills via volunteering instead. You'll pick up many of the same transferable skills and still have something to put on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Securing an internship is the first step. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to prove why you deserve the role. Being proactive will impress your new colleagues. Plus, it’ll help you get the most out of the experience. You’ll learn far more rolling up your sleeves than you will drifting around doing the bare minimum.

Being a proactive intern involves doing extra tasks that you haven’t been set. Sometimes, it’ll be things outside of your job role like tidying the workplace or changing the milk in the communal coffee machine. Other times, you might be in a position to suggest an improvement to a company process. You have an outsider’s perspective. That’s a valuable trait, so use it!

For more advice on making your mark, visit our guide on how to use your initiative at work.

Employers aren’t mind readers. They won’t always know if you’re overwhelmed if you don’t tell them. They also won’t know if you’re seeking more challenges if you don’t ask for them.

Everyone learns at different rates so it can take a while for a new employer to find you work that’s at your level. Always communicate about how you’re coping with your workload and whether you’ve got room to take on extra responsibilities.

If you’re struggling, ask for advice. Nobody expects you to know everything as an intern, so if you can’t figure something out by yourself then don't be afraid to reach out for support.

You’ll meet great people while doing an internship, so take advantage of the networking opportunity it offers you.

Look at those you’re working with and consider whether you'd be interested in doing roles similar to theirs. If it’s a yes, it’s extra important to build a rapport and keep in touch. If there’s someone you particularly admire, ask if you can pick their brain for advice over a coffee. Plenty of senior people will be happy to spare some time to help you and share their insights.

During your internship, make sure that you network with senior team members as well as your fellow interns. It may be tempting just to chat to people in the same position as you, but those who are further in their careers will be full of valuable knowledge you can learn from. Equally, if you're on a group placement, make an effort to get on with your cohort. Your fellow interns could be future colleagues and connections one day too.

It’s easy to stay in touch online, so add everyone you meet during your internship on LinkedIn. You never know who’ll become a useful contact.

Need more tips on building professional relationships? Check out our ultimate guide to networking.

Some internships and summer placements turn into permanent roles. Even if you’re doing an internship while you’re still at university, if you make a strong impression you could line up a role for yourself for after you graduate.

By treating an internship as an extended job interview, you’ll present the best version of yourself. Make sure you turn up (or log in) on time, follow the dress code and etiquette of the working environment, show enthusiasm and let your talents shine. If you do all that, there’s a chance you’ll be offered a permanent job. Even if you decide you wouldn’t work for the company you intern at, you still want to make a good impression. The people you meet may go on to work in different firms across your chosen sector, so you could cross paths again. Plus, anyone that manages you during an internship could act as a reference on your future job applications.

To make sure everyone you meet will remember you positively, here are five mistakes to avoid.

Once your internship is over, one of the most valuable things you can do to keep making the most of your experience is to include it in your future job applications. Make sure to add your internship to your CV, refer to it in cover letters and mention it in application forms.

You can also brush up on your interview practice by thinking about how you could discuss your internship experience in response to common graduate interview questions. Don't be afraid to refer to challenges so long as you explain how you overcame them, and keep the STAR method front of mind.

The first thing to do to prepare for a summer internship (or any kind of placement) is to do your research before you apply. If you want to make the most out of an internship, take your time when picking the opportunity. Think about what you want and look for the internships that will help you get just that. Not sure you’ve made the right choice once you’ve started? Don’t worry. Learning about what you don’t like is still valuable.

To be a good intern once you’re in the role, remember to be proactive and use your voice. You’ll meet lots of people as an intern so make sure you network and make a good impression. Your temporary colleagues might be the ones making hiring decisions in the future – whether that’s at the same company or somewhere else. You never know who you’ll come across in your career so treat your internship as an extended job interview.

Finally, make sure to reap the long-term benefits of your internship by referencing it in your future job applications and interviews.

Best of luck with your internship!