By Taylor Sankey
Welcome Glassies, to your guide to life. This series takes a deep dive into all your pressing need-to-knows (how to be a student politician, how to do the Bookfest like a pro, and how to survive toxic workplaces) and offers comprehensive guides so that you can live your Best Glassie Life™.
This edition is A Glassie’s Guide to Internships.
Why would I bother wasting my time doing an internship when I could be travelling? Or better yet, rotting in bed all day?
Excellent question, and don’t get me wrong, I see the appeal of the latter options. However, internships are so much more than getting coffees and making embarrassing mistakes. University may provide us with the theoretical knowledge on our chosen degree but, unless you are studying in a field that requires placements, most of us don’t really have the opportunity to practically apply our skills until we are out in the big, wide world on our own.
Benefits.
Since we go to the ‘university for the real world, it’s only appropriate that we actually get this ‘real world’ experience. And one way to do this is by getting an internship. Translating the theory that you learn into a real job and being immersed in workplace culture gives you a sense of what your future career could look like and what it entails.
The most important benefit of doing an internship is that it helps you figure out what you really want to do. You might get to the end of your internship and think I never want to do that job ever again. Whilst some might perceive this as a negative outcome, it’s actually an incredibly beneficial experience. Without that internship, you may have proceeded to commit to a career in something that you hate!
On the flip side, you may have a wonderful experience, and the internship simply aids in confirming that you have made the correct choice in your career pathway. Internships also look great on your resume as they express to employers that you have taken the initiative to learn about your field and you end up with some prior experience. It is a great leg up and really sets you aside from other candidates.
Getting an internship.
There are several internship programs available for us undergrads to apply to. Some may be paid, some may be via a scholarship, and some may be just a vocational role. All of which require an application process. At this stage in our careers, we all basically have the same resume and no degree (yet). We come in with little-to-no experience in the field and the interviewers know this. What they are looking for is personality. Many companies do internship programs because they are looking to train the interns into the future leaders of their company. It’s an investment in you that benefits both parties.
Everyone can learn things, but the one thing you cannot learn is the attitude with which you approach things. Optimism and a sheer willingness to learn are the most important things to portray, both through your written application and in-person interactions.
Impressing your supervisors.
You would be surprised at how low the bar is to impress your supervisors as an intern. This is not to say that you should be putting less effort in because it is easy. If anything, you should be trying harder. If you can impress them with simple things, imagine how astounded they would be when you demonstrate your full capabilities.
I’m simply highlighting that having some prior knowledge and skills in simple things such as Excel or PowerPoint will go a long way. LinkedIn Learning is a great way to achieve this. Prior to commencing your internship, do a few courses to give you an upper hand on the projects you may be put on. This would be dependent on the field you are interning in, but some useful places to start are:
- Microsoft Excel (even just the beginner courses have some useful tips!)
- Microsoft Power BI
- Making Pivot Tables
- Statistics Essentials
QUT students actually have access to LinkedIn Learning for free, so take advantage of it!
Other ways to impress your supervisor:
- Have an eager approach to everything you do.
- Demonstrate effective and professional email communication skills.
- Conduct yourself in a professional manner.
- Learn how to make a pretty PowerPoint (it sounds silly, but many people cannot make an effective slide pack).
- Show initiative.
- Ask questions!
Network, network, network.
We’ve all heard the saying ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’, but I cannot stress enough how true this really is. Having good rapport with people can get you far further in life than solely relying on your degree. When on your internship, ask people to go on coffee catchups, go to social events (if you are allowed to, of course), reach out to people outside of your department, and take the time to get to know your colleagues. But don’t be discouraged if someone says no. If they are saying no to getting a coffee and chatting with you, clearly, they aren’t someone you would want in your network anyway! Also, don’t be afraid to ask people to connect on LinkedIn. Who knows, they may just headhunt you in the future.
Express your interests.
You are NOT on the internship to be a glorified admin assistant. You are there to learn and gain valuable experience. Sure, you have to be a team player sometimes and do a little bit of admin work or grab coffees every now and then, but this should not be your entire experience. It’s important that you express your interests while you are there. If there are lulls in work, be proactive and ask if there are any projects you could help with in the meantime. Showing this initiative demonstrates a good work ethic and a willingness to learn, two key aspects that employers are looking for. This may even help in getting a position at the company, following the conclusion of your internship.
If it wasn’t clear already, I highly encourage applying for an internship. The best-case scenario is that you secure a job out of it. And the worst case? You gain an insightful perspective, decide that the job isn’t your cup of tea, and you move on to bigger and better things! Regardless, you will learn something. If you aren’t continually learning, you will not grow, simple as that. So, what’s the harm? Apply for that internship, you never know where it may lead you!
Walking into an international company on my first day as a little 18-year-old intern was potentially the most daunting day of my life, but I could not be more grateful for the experience that I had. It would be remiss of me to not take this opportunity to share a guide on internships on an experience that I know would benefit many others as much as it has myself. 23% of the way through my degree and I now have more experience than some would ever dream of having the day that they graduate. As a second-year student (studying a Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor of Law (Honours), I am now more confident than ever that I have chosen the correct career path and I hope that any Glassies that follow my guide would share the same sentiment after completing their internship.
