Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-Op Work Experience

8/12/2019 Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-Op Work Experience

1/4

I tell you and you forget. I show you and you remember.I involve you and you understand.

Eric Butterworth

Whats Inside

Practical Tips for Success ..............................2

Seven Strategies to Get the Mostfrom Your Experience....................................2

General Workplace Codes of Contact ........3

Get Recognition for Your Experience..........4

Leave on a Positive Note...............................4

Resources.........................................................4

Making the Most of YourInternship or Co-op

Juliette McDonald

Congratulations! Youve landed an internship or co-op job and it wasnt easy. Now what? Many studentsmake the mistake of assuming that they are done andall they have to do now is show up for work, sit backand relax. Its just an internship or co-op, its not areal job. Right?

This is far from the reality of todays student workexperiences. Your presence at the work site is moreimportant and meaningful to employers than youmight think. Employers in many instances rely onthe additional resources and energy gleaned fromtheir student employees. They look forward to yourarrival.

As an intern or co-op, this is also your opportunityto absorb as much as possible from this experience.Keep in mind this opportunity could providepractical, hands-on experience in your major/fieldof study, open the door to future employment, andserve as a future job reference. This can be a win-win situation for you and the employer. However,you must do your part in making this a reality. Nopressure intended, but you could make the differencein whether employers consider other students fromFlorida State University.

Youve heard the old clich, you only get out of itwhat you put into it. This is a very true statement.

To that end, this guide is designed to provide youwith meaningful and practical tips, strategies,general codes of conduct, dos and donts and otherinformation that will assist you in making the mostof your internship or co-op work experience now,when you land your first entry-level position aftergraduation, and throughout your professional career.


2/4

Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-op2

Practical Tips for Success

Before You Start

Contact your supervisor to confirm your startingdate and the hours you are scheduled to work,and where to report.

Ask for directions if necessary, and where to parkif you are driving your personal car.

Confirm the office dress code, and if you willneed proper identification for security purposes.

First Two Weeks on the Job

Be responsible. Arrive a few minutes before yourscheduled time. Establish a habit of arriving a fewminutes early daily.

Observe your new environment. As a newstudent employee youll be unfamiliar with thesystems, norms, and culture of your workplace.Make mental notes on the office culture in terms

of how people address each other, how theydress, the interactions between co-workers, andbetween supervisors and employees. What isyour supervisors management style? Will you beworking with other interns/co-ops or be assigneda mentor? The more you observe and understand,the more youll learn what is expected andhow to conduct yourself to fit in and to feelcomfortable.

Discuss details. Meet with your supervisorwithin the first two weeks to confirm when your

workday begins and ends, lunch break, and thenumber of workdays per week, etc. If applicable,discuss any pre-planned dates that require you totake time off. It is suggested to keep these typesof request to a minimum. Ask about anythingelse that is unclear at this point.

Define or clarify job expectations. Meet withyour supervisor to review your job descriptionor what type of projects and responsibilities youwill undertake and his/her general expectationsof you during this experience. Also talk to yoursupervisor about what you hope to learn, anddetermine if your goals are realistic and withinthe scope of the experience. Ask how you willbe evaluated and how feedback is given. A goodway to ensure that you and your supervisorhave mutual expectations is to write learningobjectives or a learning contract.

Seven Strategies to Getthe Most from Your Experience

Be professional.1.Arrive at work on time (preferably a fewminutes early) and resist the temptation to leaveearly. Respect the employers dress code. If youhave doubt or hesitation about an outfit, then itis probably inappropriate for the workplace. Bemindful of your place as an intern.

Maintain a Positive Attitude2.It has been said, attitude determines youraltitude. Interns are highly valued by thework team when they are upbeat, enthusiastic,courteous, flexible, willing to pitch in, andwilling to learn new things. Be aware that theemphasis on attitude differs in the work andacademic settings. In a work setting, attitudeplays a greater role in how you are judged. Ifyou do good work, but you have a negative

attitude, you will not succeed.Immerse yourself.3.Learn as much as you can about the industry ororganization you are working for. Read annualreports, training manuals, contracts, letters,memos, press releases, trade publications,business newspapers; interact with people indifferent departments, as time permits. Absorbyourself into your assignments. Use your timeefficiently, limit socializing with other co-workers, minimize break and lunch hour, avoid

gossip and office politics. Doing so will go a longway toward proving your integrity and worth.Go above and beyond what is expected.

Always do your best work.4.On occasions when you are asked to do clericalor repetitive tasks, do so without murmuringor complaining. Supervisors need to knowthat you are capable of small things beforethey can trust you with more important tasks.Your performance on menial tasks will benoted, and can earn you more responsibility.

This is especially true for co-op positions, asyou will return for a second work experience,usually with more progressive duties andresponsibilities.


3/4

Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-op 3

Take initiative!5.Seek out opportunities to learn. Volunteerto help with a project that interests you. Askquestions and try to sit in on departmentmeetings. Look for a mentor who is willing toshow you the ropes. However, if you are notfinding enough guidance or direction, discussyour concerns with your supervisor.

Network! Network! Network!6. This is an excellent opportunity to developa professional network. You are in a primeposition to meet people at all levels of yourorganization and to learn about their experiencesand career paths. Focus on quality rather thequantity of people you meet. A relatively non-threatening way to network is to ask a fewselective people to grant you a brief (no morethan 20 minutes) informational interview. As ayoung professional, your primary interest at thispoint is about meeting people who can teach you

about your future profession or career area.Build your portfolio.7.As you progress through your internship orco-op, begin gathering portfolio fillers. Yourinternship or co-op can be more than just a newentry for your resume. Get permission fromyour supervisor to collect any relevant projects,papers, presentations or any other supportivetasks/assignments you were involved in tobecome part of your career portfolio. You mayalso want to include any positive performance

reviews, supervisor feedback, new skillsacquired, and letters of recommendation.Building your career portfolio now will offergreat advantages during your future job search.To start your career portfolio, go to www.career.fsu.edu

Workplace Codes of Conduct8.

Do

Dress professionally and appropriatelyfor the position.

Be on time.

Be friendly.

Fully understand tasks. Ask questions!

Pay attention to detail. Follow through onall projects and assignments.

Work hard and efficiently.

Take initiative!

Be positive, enthusiastic, and supportive.

Be considerate and respect others.

Exercise basic office etiquette.

Dont

Dress like a college student (e.g., caps,shorts, flip-flops, etc.).

Be late. If you must be late or not able tocome for any reason, please call in, priorto your reporting time.

Be afraid to ask questions or get clarification when you are unsure orunclear about anything.

Sit idle. Seek out opportunities to learn.

Gripe about grunt work. Theres alwayssomething to learn.

Be overly assertive or be a know it all.

Gossip. Keep personal information toyourself.

Be lazy in your work.

Take extended lunches or breaks.

Terminate your position without officiallynotifying your work supervisor and youruniversitys Co-op/Internship Office.


4/4

Alternative Format Available.

Revised 02/09 Pub ID: 51

Get Recognition for Your ExperienceAt FSU you have three options for earningRecognition of your internship/co-op experience.For each option it is important for you to makearrangements for credit or recognition prior to thestart of your work experience.

You may be able to earn course credit1.through your academic department. It isyour responsibility to contact the appropriatedepartment in advance to determine if creditis available and comply with the policies andprocedures required. Note, credit is grantedat the discretion of individual departments.Therefore, it is possible it may not be available.

Academic credit may be earned for the2.experience if taken under Directed IndependentStudy (DIS). The amount of credit is arrangedby the student through a faculty sponsor oracademic advisor.

You may be eligible to receive Recognition3.(notation) on your transcript in the form ofa S/U grade, zero (0) credit hours throughthe Career Centers Career ExperienceOpportunities (CEO) office. You must firstcontact the CEO Office for approval of theintern or co-op position first and then registerand then complete all required paperwork bypre-established deadlines. Recognition does notimpact your grade point average. Call 644-9775for more on this option.

Leave on a Positive Note!

A week or so before you leave, meet with yoursupervisor to personally thank him/her for theopportunity to be part of the organization andhow much you learned from the experience.

Discuss any pending projects you were assignedor assisted with that need additional attention.

Complete any paperwork required by the employer.

Return any company property, (e.g., keys,security identification, laptops, cell phones, etc.)

Leave contact information.

Dont slack off or skip out early just because yourtime is coming to an end.

Send a formal thank you letter reiterating yourappreciation of the experience.

ResourcesMaking the Most of Your Internship: Five steps that helpyou get more out of an internship, CareerBank Staff.

Richardson, Christina, Make the Most of YourInternship, Wetfeet.

Succeeding at Your Internship, Smith College,Career Development Office.

Top Five Strategies for Making the Most of YourInternship, Internweb.com Staff, 2000.

850.644.6431 career.fsu.edu

Documents

Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-Op Work Experience