6 Things you should do after your internship is over
End of a chapter is the beginning of another.
Hi, Ahmed here! each week I share actionable ideas about studying strategies, college life stories, and job search advice for students and fresh graduates.
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Expected reading time: 5 minutes.
Hope you enjoy it.
I’ve always considered internships as building blocks.
Imagine building a tower with blocks. The first block you place requires some time and effort to get it just right. However, once that first block is in place, you have a solid foundation. You can then easily stack more blocks on top of it, and each subsequent block becomes steadier and easier.
In the same way, it’s always hard to secure your first internship because you need a good foundation of experience and skills to reach there but once you did. You could use it not only to build on your previous experience but also to get more internships.
Today, we are going to discuss how to utilize what you did in your internship for your next ones.
Let’s dive in.
Audit your experience
The first thing a ship captain does to reach their destination is figuring out where they are. Sometimes, we get so focused on where we want to go that we forget to understand where we currently are.
That's why it's important to think about what you did and where you are now after your internship:
What projects did you work on?
Did you like the company or the field you were in?
What new skills did you learn during your internship?
What tasks did you find you enjoy doing?
What feedback did you receive, and what steps are you planning to take?
Take these questions, grab a pen and paper, and review your internship experience. This will help you learn more about yourself and plan for what comes next.
Document your experience.
As time goes on, you’ll forget the projects and tasks you accomplished during your internship.
That's why it's a good idea to start keeping a record of your work.
I know, it's not always the most exciting thing to do, and it takes time, but remember, it's your career we're talking about, and it's definitely worth the effort. Plus, having a record of your past experience can be really helpful in future job interviews.
When I first started keeping track of my experiences, I was unsure about how to go about it. I had previous experiences that I wanted to capture, but I didn't know where to begin.
I was unsure about where to store this information and what exactly I should be documenting.
I used Notion as my documentation system, it started as saving my achievement and I ended up using it as:
• Relation tracker.
• Interview handbook.
And much more.
I created a comprehensive guide about the whole process, step-by-step. If you're interested, you can find the guide Here.
Follow up with your feedback
You probably received a lot of feedback during or after your internship. Many interns simply accept the feedback and leave it at that.
But here's a rule I always stick to whenever I receive feedback:
Take action on it.
Don't just stop at receiving the feedback; instead, take steps to act on it and follow up with the person who provided the feedback.
This approach serves you in two ways:
Personal Growth: By acting on the feedback, you can further develop your skills.
Building Relationships: Following up with the feedback giver helps you establish a rapport with them.
Consider this: the person who provided the feedback likely have years of experience in the field you're interested in. They dedicated their time to offer you feedback SPECIFIC to you.
That, in my opinion, is gold.
Always, Always follow up after your feedback.
Say Thank You.
Your supervisor and team have been helping you personally and professionally in the past couple weeks.
Saying thanking them for their support is the least you could do for them.
You have a few options to choose from:
Email
Handshake
Handwritten Note
Each of these methods has its own unique advantage and proper ways to do it. To help you, I've put together a guide with templates and examples. If you're looking for more guidance on how to express your gratitude effectively, you can access the guide here.
Update Your LinkedIn
Many interns start by updating their LinkedIn experience section after the internship, which is a great way to get the attention of recruiters. However, you are still missing out on much more:
You can:
Ask for Recommendations: Reach out to your team and supervisor for recommendations. These recommendations provide social proof of your impact and value during your internship. The best time to gather these recommendations is right after your internship.
Connect with Colleagues: This might seems obvious but it’s crucial to maintaining these relationships that you made in your internship. Most students and graduates would die to get an intro or a networking opportunity with your company team and you have a huge advantage. You work there!
Share Your Work: The best time to share your work was during your internship. The second best time is now. It's an excellent way to showcase your experience and expertise to your community and network.
I’ve a step-by-step guide to how to utilise LinkedIn after your internship. You cam find it here.
Have Fun
We get lost on working toward our career and future but we shouldn’t forget to enjoy life for what it is.
Taking internships and working in the summer after a long year college is just an achievement on its own.
Enjoy being around with your family.
Hang out with your friends.
Watch your fav series or movies.
Practice your hobbies.
Do what you really enjoy and have fun. You deserve it.
That’s it! Thank you for sticking to the end. 👋
Sincerely,
Ahmed Amin
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