4 Pieces of Advice for a Successful Internship

As I approach my 6-month mark at Curator, I took a moment to reflect on this experience. As I sifted through memories of coverage reporting, list buildings and brainstorms, I put together few pieces of advice for future interns to help them excel in their own internship:

1.     Be a “yes-man”: I have heard this time and time again when my peers and I ask professionals for career advice, and BOY is it true.  Say yes to every opportunity and everything your colleagues may need your help with. The more you do, the more you learn, and the better skills you will develop.

2.     Speak up: This can be difficult when you are first starting out, but sharing your ideas shows that you want to be involved. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. What I mean is if you are interested in a particular client, ask if there is anything you can help with. If you want be involved in more social media, let the social media strategist know that you are interested and willing to help. The worst thing that can happen is they say no, but more times than not people are more than happy to get you involved in their work.

3.     Realize that the smaller tasks add up to the bigger picture: As an intern, you’re there to learn and you are going to start with the smaller tasks… that’s just how it is. This is how you grow in the profession. Don’t underestimate the smaller things. The small things you’re working on are supporting the big things: they matter just as much.

4.     Save your work: Create a file for your best work and save it. You’ll want to have these documents and links in one place so you can build your professional portfolio.