Ideal setting for establishing professional relationships you can leverage
An internship is so much more than memorizing coffee orders. The experience – I recommend doing several – can be immensely valuable, offering you a chance to build skills to showcase on your resume and LinkedIn profile and, most importantly, establish professional relationships in the industry you aspire to become a part of.
As an intern, your goals are to:
- Learn what you want and need to know. (TIP: Create a list of what you want to gain from your internship. On your first day, share your list with the person coaching you.)
- Make a positive impression. (Make a strong enough impression, and – fingers-crossed – you’ll likely receive a job offer.)
- Begin building your professional network.
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Creating a great impression starts with being relentlessly punctual. Woody Allen said it best, “Eighty per cent of success is showing up.” Show up on time, or better yet, early. Arrive for meetings before they begin. Complete tasks by their deadlines. Employers value reliable employees. Internships are usually three to four months long, so give your internship no less than 100 per cent.
Take on every task and assignment you’re given with an unwavering commitment to excellence. It’s never beneath you to do what’s asked of you. If you’re asked to make coffee, make the best coffee your colleagues have ever tasted. If asked to create an Excel template, put extra effort into ensuring it’s accurate, aesthetically pleasing, and comprehensive. Continually delivering exceptional results is how you create a reputation (READ: personal brand) that advances your career.
Act when you see a need. (e.g., sign for a package and deliver it directly to the recipient, offer to cover reception during lunch) Don’t wait to be told. Checking your Instagram account while waiting to be given something to do is never a good look. Interns who never sat idle and proactively sought out where they could be of help, or pitched in without being asked, are the ones I remember. Deliver more than expected, do what no one else is willing to do, and you’ll be appreciated and remembered.
As an intern, it’s expected you’ll ask questions … lots of questions.
Asking good questions is the sign of an intellectually curious, diligent person, which is a turn-on. Think – in advance – of questions to ask. Spend time formulating your questions. When meeting with a peer or superior, think of thoughtful questions you can ask to demonstrate you have prepared for the meeting. If you’re in a meeting with management, don’t focus on your answers but on what’s missing. With me, asking the questions no one else is asking (e.g., “How does A relate to B?”, “How has the company dealt with these issues in the past?”) earns lots of points. Elephant-in-the-room questions often steer a group’s thinking and conversation in a more productive direction – this is how you become an influencer.
TIP: When you hear someone ask a great, conversation-altering question, write it down and reflect on what made it great.
Ask at least one authentic question in every meeting you attend. By following this advice, you’ll become comfortable asking questions in a group setting, hone your ability to ask questions that lead to real insight and reveal your intellectual curiosity.
The most valuable benefit of an internship is it offers the ideal setting to establish professional relationships you can leverage throughout your career, whether job hunting or seeking advice. Since internships don’t last long, interns tend to focus solely on their work and only form connections with their immediate colleagues and fellow interns. Don’t be that intern! Cultivate as many professional relationships throughout the company as possible.
Don’t be shy to introduce yourself to senior managers, directors and VPs – they were once in your shoes. Invite colleagues whom you notice management hold in high regard to lunch. Ask them questions. (Who doesn’t like to talk about themselves and their successes?) Offer to help where you can.
TIP: Observe great relationship-builders and learn from them. I recommend reading The Connector’s Way: A Story About Building Business One Relationship at a Time by Patrick Galvin.
An internship is hard work that’ll pay off. Doing only what’s expected of you won’t get you noticed; you’ll be just another intern. Go above and beyond, from arriving on time to doing exemplary work (Yes, that includes getting coffee orders right.) and maximizing your internship opportunities.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job.
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This is a great piece. Your recommendations for maximizing an internship are spot on. I appreciate your recommending my book “The Connector’s Way: A Story About Building Business One Relationship at a Time.” Did you know that I wrote a sequel called “The Trusted Way: A Story About Building a Life and Business of Character“? I wrote “The Trusted Way” because trust is the essential element for strong relationships. Wishing you a healthy and happy 2023!