How To Prepare For The End Of Your Internship
Accepting an intern position is an exciting accomplishment! Throughout your internship, you will gain experience and make connections that will benefit you all throughout your career. Once you have a routine established, it can be hard to know how to gracefully step down from a position. That’s why we have created a list of ten tips for the end of your internship. Whether you have just started your internship or are approaching the end of it, these tips are for you!
1. Gather Feedback
At the end of your internship, ask your manager for their feedback! They will be happy to give a verbal or written report analyzing your work ethic, strengths, and weaknesses. If you did your internship during high school, make sure that you ask about receiving credit. Companies will often write evaluations that can be transferred to your high school transcript for easy access. You will want to have some sort of written report as a record of all the hard work you have put into this internship!
2. Share Your Feedback
Most companies want to hear feedback from their employees. They want to know what they are doing well, what they can improve upon, and what things are harmful to their employees. If you had a great experience, share your positive feedback! You can provide verbal or written feedback. Make sure that you also give them a review on LinkedIn or Indeed if they have a profile.
If you encountered some challenges during your internship, share those with the company. If they are willing to make improvements, they will value your feedback. Make sure that you ask your internship manager how they would prefer for you to share your feedback.
3. Reflect On What You Learned
You should keep a record of the things you learn during your internship! This can be as simple as a weekly journal entry, or as detailed as a daily log. Either way, you want to keep notes so that you can apply what you learned at your next job. We recommend keeping a journal that is dedicated to recording lessons you learn as you gain work experience.
4. Update Your Resume
You will want to update your resume after you complete your internship. Depending on the work you did, you may want to include links in your resume. You should add the title of the company you interned for, your role at the company, how long your position lasted, and a description of what you did as an intern. This will help potential employers discern if you are a good candidate for their company. A detailed resume with clean formatting will be extremely appealing to employers!
5. Discuss Future Positions
If you enjoyed your internship, consider asking about future positions at the company. Most companies contract interns to employ them, so don’t be afraid to ask if they are hiring for full-time positions. Companies will be more likely to consider you for a position if you have displayed genuine interest in their mission. They will also be impressed if you go above and beyond their expectations. If you strive to stand out from your fellow interns, employers will notice! Keep these tips in mind as you near the end of your internship.
6. Transfer Responsibilities
Make sure that you transfer your responsibilities to the appropriate person before the end of your internship. This may look like training another intern, sending documents to another employee, or tying up loose ends with your work. Do not leave the company without completing all the tasks you were assigned. Your internship manager should guide you in how to appropriately transfer your responsibilities.
7. References & Recommendation Letters
If you are moving to a different company, you may want to ask your internship manager for a letter of recommendation. These letters add credibility to your resume and give potential employers a chance to learn about your character. If you want to add your manager as a reference on your resume, make sure to ask for their permission. You want to give them a heads up before you include their information on your resume. Most managers are more than willing to be a character reference.
8. Write Thank You Notes
It is always a good idea to write thank you notes to the key people who invested in you during your internship. These notes can be short and simple, but they show that you appreciate your manager’s time, influence, and assistance. If it is appropriate, you can also include a small gift as a token of your gratitude.
This action will also increase your probability of being hired as a full-time employee. Companies are always looking for responsible and respectful candidates. If you demonstrate a thankful heart for their time, they will be more inclined to add you to their team!
9. Maintain Contact
Make sure that you avoid an awkward exit from the company. Don’t just leave on your last day without leaving thank you notes and saying goodbye. This will make your exit smooth and provide closure if you do not plan on returning.
When you leave, ask your employer and manager if you can maintain contact with them. If there is the potential for future job openings, you want to be notified of those! You also want to maintain contact if you add them as a reference on your resume. This will show potential employers that you know how to make a graceful and respectful exit from a company.
10. Rest & Recharge
Make sure that you take time to rest after your internship! You worked hard, so take the time to do some fun activities. This could look like going on a trip, playing a sport with friends, or taking a long nap. However you choose to rest, make sure that you complete all of the steps listed above so that you can fully enjoy your accomplishment.
