Most of the students, if not all, undergo an internship or even multiple. We go for an internship to train, to learn, and to be exposed to a real work setting. Assuming you achieve all that, what happens after?
As your internship draws to a close, you may be wondering what comes next. How can you nurture the new connections you’ve made? How can you stay in contact for future work opportunities?
In fact, the real work of leaving a positive impression begins after you finish the internship. But don’t worry - we will give you the necessary tips for you to continue successfully in your career.
Think of what’s next - as soon as you reach the end of your internship you should have an idea of what’s next. During your internship, you will be able to distinguish what you’re good at and what requires too much of an effort and doesn’t show the best results. Make use of this experience in choosing your job so you won’t fall into an ill-fitting job when you graduate.
Build your resume - after gaining experience with the company, you have the privilege to put on your resume that you have trained with them. That will show the experience you got and help your next recruiter to understand your timeline better.
Ask for a letter of recommendation - It is vital to receive feedback from your employer in form of a letter of recommendation from your supervisors, as you might need it for your future employment.
Say thank you - while sending a thank you note may seem like common knowledge, this one simple step is something many professionals often forget to do. Interns should get into the habit of sending thank you notes once they leave the company - it’s an easy way to show an employer just how much you appreciate the opportunity.
Ask for updates - leaving an internship having completed all of the assignments that were given to you will certainly leave a positive impression on a boss, but if you really want to stand out, check in to see what the status of that project is after you’ve left the internship.
Stay in touch - while you should make sure to get all the contact information of your boss and other managers who made your internship valuable, it’s also important to show those new connections just how serious you are about keeping in touch. You should remember to check in with certain people from time to time and ask about them. But this doesn’t have to stop at your hire ups - make sure you also stay in contact with your peers.
Doing an internship is the best way to jump-start your career. And if you follow these steps after your internship ends you can improve your image instantly and pave the way for your future career. Apply here to jump-start your career with an internship abroad!
