Your Summer Internship is Over…Now What?

Give yourselves a pat on the back! Not only for scoring a summer internship and seeing it end, but hopefully you have learned a great deal in your respective industry and, not to mention, the glorious recommendation your internship supervisor will write you. No matter how sad you are that your time at your internship is over, remember how far you’ve come since the very first day. Before going back to university, starting another internship or part-time/full-time job, taking time off, or traveling, here are a few reminders to make sure you leave on the best terms:

Send Your Appreciation

Remember, they selected you out of hundreds, maybe thousands of other potential interns. You’ve done so much for them, but they’ve also done a lot for you. They deserve a ‘thank you’ card, an email, or even a gift. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but something to show that you appreciate them and that you care. You may have given up your summer time, but they have given you the opportunity to work and gain real life experiences.

Update Your Resume

Sure your internship just ended, but you need to have all the information that you learned fresh so you can update your resume in the appropriate amount of time without having to remember your accomplishments. Some people make the mistake of forgetting to update their resume. You never know when you’ll need to send it off so you will need to prepare ahead of time and not spending the time rushing to fix it. I believe this is the key to success.

Ask For Advice

Remember, your internship supervisor was once a college student too! Take advantage of the opportunity to ask them for excellent career advice. I really admire my internship supervisor the past six weeks of working with and getting to know her, so I asked her to sit down to chat about her life and how she got to where she is today, the Creative Director of Philadelphia Fashion Incubator. Supervisors have very busy schedules so don’t wait until last minute to do this. Be sure to give them plenty of time to schedule you in to show initiative and ensure that you won’t miss a valuable learning opportunity.

NETWORK!

If you haven’t done so already, now is a great time to practice your elevator pitch, firm your handshake, and start networking – both in and outside of the office. I interned in a co-working office space so I am always establishing connections that could pay off in the future. As well, as attending events that my internship company hosts. There are always tons of successful people in attendance. It may seem daunting at first, but your internship is your perfect chance. You never know when you might need those people for a job or just to have lunch and pick their brain.

Remember the Skills You Learned and Build On Them

It doesn’t matter if the internship was relevant to your future career or not, but it is something that will help your future. Yes, you will impress future employers with the skills you have, but you will blow them away when you have demonstrated your continued work on these skills. Don’t just waste your summer by letting it go by. You’ve worked hard for weeks, even months, and that will help you. Your time at your internship is over, but your skills will be remembered through your future successes.