Created for the overthinkers, perfectionists and fellow lost students.
I would like to share with you all some tips I learned during my internship that can help you navigating your whole internship experience as I believe that it’s a very confusing process and can be a stressful time when it’s your 1) first time and it’s 2) mandatory; creating time pressure.
I have worked many part-time and even full-time temporary jobs before as a way to get some extra income. I did these jobs well and some of those jobs, I enjoyed, while some of them not so much. Before this internship was required from the University, I have never worked in a field that was related to the field of work I wanted to do. I heard many internship stories, that this is your defining moment, that you need to find an internship with a big company so that your CV can stand out, that you should take the time to find a good company and that it’s competitive. For a perfectionist, that thought they had to get this right, this was a difficult reality. At first I applied to companies that were directly of interest to me and were aligned with what I (thought) I wanted in the future and for a perfect CV. After some time passed and I had no success, I applied to companies that were not exactly what I firstly wanted, but you learn that when you have no experience, and you are a second year student, you are secondary preference for an internship.
TIP 1: Start your search as early on as possible. I have heard this many times before, but I was caught off guard when I found out that searching 2 months prior to when I wanted my internship start was not enough. I found out that for some fields, like finance, people start searching a year before, and some of my friends in communication science had their internship secured half a year earlier. Start searching!
TIP 2: Perfect your CV, customize your cover letters each time you apply and DO NOT USE AI to draft your letters. It’s competitive out there, make sure you have a professional CV, and that when required from the company, you write a cover letter that shows you really understood what tasks they are looking for and why you would be a good fit. Do not use a standardised template or AI for this, as it’s easy to tell for recruiters and they will most likely not reach out for an interview.
TIP 3: You’re going to want to find a whole seperate guide on how to succeed at the interview stage, there is no specific special internship interview process. I would just recommend doing research on the company beforehand so that you come across professional as well as show some enthusiasm for the role. Usually explaining why the role/company has personal relevance to you does the trick!
TIP 4: Once you have secured an actual internship, embrace the journey of your new professional career life. Give yourself space to learn, to make mistakes and to be curious. You do not need to know everything in the first week. As a perfectionist, I found it very frustrating to have to figure out many things on my own and not be good at them. It’s perfectly okay to not know things when you are just starting out. Ask lots of questions and keep a journal for improvements.
TIP 5: Make your time dedication and boundaries clear. Many of my friends, me included were afraid to speak up about time dedication, how much percent of the internship we actually need to spend on university work and boundaries. This resulted in stress, working overtime and dissatisfaction. It is perfectly okay to set boundaries with your new job and make sure that they are aware of your university work. I set a “research day” each week during which I had the time to conduct research and write my report.
TIP 6: Lastly, try to make friends at your new internship. Go out for drinks with your new colleagues, socialize. Find out how they got in that position and what previous experience they have. If your team is small and you find it difficult to find new friends, see if you can go to networking events organized by the University or through different student organizations. These events will help you network and meet people who can help you feel less lonely during your experience.
BONUS TIP: Once you are done with your internship, ask for a recommendation letter from your employer (or even a LINKEDIN reference) that you can utilize in future job hunts or when applying for a higher degree.