6 Things to Do Before Internship Ends
It’s not only in the beginning of the internship that you need to prepare things beforehand but also at the end. You’ve worked hard and learned a lot during the internship so don’t waste it. Here’s what you need to do before internship ends to leave a lasting impression!
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Finish What You Started
The first you nee dto do before internship ends is to finish the projects you started. If it’s not possible, make sure to be as helpful as possible to whomever will be finishing up what you were working on. Offer to walk them through what you are working on and also be sure to leave notes or instructions. The goal is to make sure that you’re leaving them in a good place and that they can finish what you were working.
Get a Letter of Recommendation
This is critical thing to do before internship ends! Even if you had a bad time at your internship, you should walk away with something. Don’t be too shy to ask for a reference or letter of recommendation even if you’ve already decided not to pursue the same field long-term. Ask for the letter to be a general recommendation based on your performance like intelligence, dedication, creativity and work ethic. This way, you can compile a mini-file of awesome rec letters to have ready to go at all times.
Talk About Next Steps
If you really enjoyed your internship and think that it’s the place you’d like to ultimately end up be sure to ask about opportunities to do so. It’s important that you make sure they know how you feel and that you’d like to return. A one-on-one meeting with your supervisor is a great time to share this information or if that’s not possible you can always reconnect with the person who recruited you and ask them about next steps
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Gather Contact Info
Once school starts back up it can get busy quickly that you may forget to gather your coworkers’ contact info. So make a plan to stay in touch and develop a system to make it easier. One suggestion is to connect with them on LinkedIn as that is an easy way to keep up to date with what they’re doing. It’s also a great way to share information that may be helpful or valuable to them.
Say “Thank You”
The most important thing to do before internship ends is to thank everyone who helped you during your internship. Don’t just thank your supervisor and other higher ups — be sure to thank your fellow interns, or anyone else who helped you while you were there. It’s imperative that you thank your coworkers for their guidance, time, and support. You never know where people might end up and how you might be able to help one another.
Stay in Touch
The relationships you formed this summer shouldn’t end there. Whether it’s your fellow interns, your manager, or other people you worked on projects with, you never know who will be able to help you down the road. If you’ve gathered your coworkers’ contact info, make sure to check on them periodically. Do not only reach them when you need something. The point is to keep the relationships strong.