My Gen Y Life

The Employee Evolution post "Unpaid Internships are a Waste" says:

"Everyone knows you do next to nothing at most unpaid internships. College students should all do themselves a favor and refuse to accept these unpaid resume builders. Know that in the grand scheme of things, selling yourself and building a strong work ethic will take you much further than a stupid internship on a resume." -Ryan Healy

Some might call me an “internship whore” but during college I completed six internships: four unpaid (two of which I received college credit) and two paid internships. The very last one paid well and also got me a job in the company. Some companies foster their internship programs and some don’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get something out of it. I really disliked my first internship because it wasn’t what I expected to do and I didn’t take advantage enough of the opportunity while I was there. Actually most of these internships helped me to realize that they weren't the companies and/or fields of work that I wanted to get into, which is valuable in itself. My last one I loved, and not just because it was paid.

Here are five ways to make your internship worth it:

• In the interview, ask detailed questions about what types of tasks you may be doing. Don’t just go for the internship because it would look good on your resume. For example, if you detest telemarketing then make sure that “calling prospects” is not part of the internship or you’ll regret it.
• Write an internship journal. This might sound trivial but it really makes a difference. I still look back on mine to remember my impressions of people or things that I encounter today. Besides, you’ll probably have at least 15 minutes a day to do nothing and your supervisor will be impressed that you’re writing a journal.
• Read industry news and career books. Your supervisor will probably be more than happy to hand over some newspapers, industry journals, books, and better yet Web sites that they reference on a regular basis. This will give you the advantage in understanding what’s going on at work.
• Network, network, network. You want to be the Chief Marketing Officer or the Vice President of [insert department here]? Ask your supervisor to set up a casual information interview with them. If they decline, try the next in line. You would be surprised at how willing people are to talk to interns about what makes them successful.
• Learn everything you can about the company. If you chose to intern there, you likely want to work there. Surf the intranet to learn more about the company and the various departments. Ask people questions. Attend annual meetings, department meetings, and other events.

To sum it up – be proactive. Whether internships are paid or not, it’s really the intern’s responsibility to make the most of it, not the company’s. Too many of my peers have come into internships thinking that the company will cater to them and guide them, but that’s rarely true. Tell your supervisor what your interests are and he or she will likely try to steer your tasks in that directions or at least hook you up with someone who does them. Don’t be the intern that takes advantage of “doing nothing” either – unless you’re a good brown-noser to the big boss, you likely won’t get called back for a job.