DEAR FUTURE INTERN
Words of wisdom from our summer intern.
Dear Future Intern,
Cooper, our summer engineering intern, is heading back to school this fall.
At the start of this summer, I stared at the white board during the meeting that would take place every day of my internship. My team gathered each morning of my summer at this whiteboard to discuss the current projects and problems. I stared at the huge board and thought, “What on Earth did I get myself into?”
None of the language on the board made sense to me, but three months, and a heck of a lot of standup-whiteboard meetings later, I have learned what (almost) all of the jargon meant. To the future interns who will be standing in my same spot – overwhelmed and very confused, I have a few tips for your internship:
1. Seek the expert.
I have asked a lot of questions this summer. My team is full of the experts in our field. There is no better resource to learn from than these people. So, when you get stuck, find the expert, and ask them for help. People like to share what they are working on and help you out.
2. Prioritize the point.
The whole reason for doing an internship is to give you the time and opportunity to discover what you do and don’t want to do for your career. Learning a new skill, a new industry, and meeting new people are all bonuses. Use this time to learn all you can about the career opportunities in front of you.
3. Don’t lose hope!
You are here to learn, so do not worry if on your first day you don’t understand a word spoken to you. You have time to learn, and that exactly what your company hired you to do. No one expects you to know everything. By the end of your internship, you will be shocked with how far you have come. It will get easier!
Now, I am at the end of my summer. I think back to that whiteboard and I have figured out what I was really looking at back when I started. I am so thankful I didn’t stay overwhelmed, but kept learning, asking questions and trying new things.
Good luck!
Cooper