Eight Tips for Acing Your Internship

Many majors either require or highly encourage students to participate in an internship by the time they graduate. Why is that? Internships are a great opportunity to learn how to apply all that technical knowledge you’ve gained in school and get a taste for future employment. I have learned so many valuable lessons at my internship at US Synthetic, A ChampionX Company, over the last nine months. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I went into it, and I was very nervous, so I wanted to share with you eight tips to help you succeed in your own internship.

1. Get to know your colleagues and grow your network

A major part of your internship is getting to know those with whom you work. Try to learn their names and get to know them professionally. Invite them to connect on LinkedIn so you can stay connected even after your internship. These connections can make a huge difference in finding employment in the future.

2. Find a mentor and ask lots of questions

Finding a mentor (or mentors) can significantly influence your success at your internship. Having someone to go to ask questions is fundamental in learning not only your role as an intern, but valuable skills as an engineer. Asking questions shows interest and opens doors for discussions you may not otherwise have. Take advantage of the time when you are new and not expected to have all the answers and use it as a time for learning and deeper understanding.

3. Update your portfolio

A huge part of having an internship is honing your skills and being able to share that with future employers later. When I started my internship, they gave me an engineering notebook which I started using for notes, sketches, and calculations. I typically leave my notebook on my desk and one day my supervisor opened it up, looked through it, and told me he was impressed with my process. These kinds of things, CAD work that you’ve done, or projects you’ve worked on can be great to share BUT be sure to check with your supervisors if some of the information may be proprietary.

4. Be willing to work

Some assignments you get as an intern will not be the most exciting, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn from them. Be ready and willing to accept assignments and complete them to the best of your ability. This will display your ability to work hard and strengthen your trust with your colleagues.

5. Be enthusiastic

Attitude is everything. Even though some of the tasks assigned to you as an intern may not be the most glamorous or exciting, show enthusiasm for the work that you are doing and try to find something to enjoy or learn from it. For example, I was asked to create or update a lot of drawings. Sometimes it could be kind of boring, but I would still have a positive attitude at work and one of my supervisors has thanked me on multiple occasions for having such a positive attitude and getting those “menial” tasks done because they were very stressed trying to solve other problems.

6. Learn the workplace culture

Each company has its own unique culture and feel. For example, at US Synthetic, one of the first things I noticed was how friendly people were. Practically everyone I walked by would say hi which I really appreciated and began to adopt. Additionally, the company also works very hard to implement Lean engineering practices and Six Sigma principles which I began to learn more about so I could deeply understand their objectives, processes, and values.

7. Share your ideas

As an intern, sometimes you may feel your knowledge is inadequate to contribute to a given situation or project. Part of learning is sharing your thoughts and ideas with those around you. Sometimes these ideas may be rejected, but other times they may be a great solution. There were a few times I shared some of my design ideas for a project we were working on and the response was, “That’s not going to work” but then they gave it some thought and later told me there was merit behind my ideas. Other times they really liked the ideas I had, and they worked to implement them. Sharing ideas can be intimidating, but not only is it rewarding when your ideas are accepted, but it helps improve your communication with others as well.

8. Seek feedback

Most companies do one-on-one sessions with their employees, but if that does not happen very often, seek feedback from those you work with. Ask them how they think you are doing. Ask them what they think you do well and what you could work on. Be humble enough to listen to and accept their feedback and try to implement it. Doing so demonstrates understanding and a desire to improve.

There is so much more to learn technically and personally from an internship, but I hope these tips are helpful in starting off on the right foot in your position. Internships are a great way to gain experience in the workforce and get a head start on your career, whether you end up staying with the same company or not.   

For more internship tips, check out these resources: 

“19 Tips for a Fantastic Internship”, Indeed Editorial Team, July 6, 2020.

“Tips for Internship Success”, UC Berkeley Career Center

“Tips for Turning Your Internship Into a Full Time Job”, Penny Loretto, November 20, 2019