What I learned as a marketing communication intern at Avery Dennison
At first, the idea of interning can be somewhat intimidating, entering the corporate world without much experience. For some the internship done during this course will be their first and let me tell you, there is nothing to worry about. Do not get me wrong at first it might all be a bit confusing and overwhelming with the fast pace environment and new terminology. But do not worry, you will soon get used to it and even start using such terms.
My experience taught me that the most important things during an internship are to work hard, stay positive, be proactive, and show that you are interested. By working hard you are more likely to create quality content that will be much appreciated by your team, once people see that you are efficient they will start giving or including you in more interesting and complex projects. This will help you deepen your knowledge on the field of communications and not get stuck doing stereotypical intern jobs, e.g.: organizing piles of documents. I realized the importance of staying positive when my colleagues told me this is a personality trait of mine that was they appreciated. This can contribute to the overall ambiance within a team and keep spirits high. As an intern, it is fundamental to be proactive. This includes reaching out to people when you see that they need help or are working on something you want to be part of, making suggestions on projects that could be done, and finding yourself projects. By doing so, you will be able to help out in projects that spark your interest and not only what has been appointed to you. Lastly, make sure to express your interests, when people see that you are curious about what they are working on they are more likely to take the time to share their knowledge with you.
I also think it is good to add some tips for students who will be doing their internships online due to the COVID-19 situation. Try to have weekly meetings with the members of your team with who you often collaborate. This way you will always know what projects they are up to, making it easier for you to ask to be a part of it. To keep everyone connected and have some team building activities, I and the other interns organize weekly online activities (e.g.: Kahoot quizzes). These usually took place Friday afternoon, everyone enjoyed them and thought it was a nice way to end the week.
It is important to keep in mind that all internships and interns are different, these tips worked well for me but maybe for you, some other things will be useful. Just make sure to enjoy and make the most out of this experience. It can be very enriching not only professionally but personally.