Plan to Finish Your Internship in Style

Thousands of college students, including HBCU students, are participating in summer internships all across the country.  If you are one of those students who have secured an internship this summer, your goal should be to finish up your internship in style.

What do I mean by that? I mean that you should finish up your internship experience positively and in a professional way.

How to Finish up with Style!

Before you leave, thank your supervisor and tell them what you have learned. Be specific about projects and skills that will take your professional game to the next level.  Talk about the meaning of the assignments and what it has meant to you to be a part of the team.

Reach out to professionals in other departments that you want to thank or stay connected with as well.  This is the perfect time to get your LinkedIn account set up so that you can start to build that professional network.  Although your fellow interns might want to connect as friends on Facebook or Instagram, your boss might prefer to meet you on LinkedIn.

Ask people how you can stay connected with them. Remember that you are trying to build meaningful relationships not just get new tweeps who want to follow your daily life!  Find out what people are interested in and you will be able to network in more meaningful ways.

Stay professional and approachable all the way to the very end of the internship.   Your goal is to leave your internship with bridges built and not bridges burned. Continue to stay out of company gossip and organizational stuff, that you don't need to participate in and work hard on all your projects right up until the very last day.

Many companies have an end-of-internship event for all interns.  Remember that the end of internship social event is not the time for you to “let your hair down” especially if you want to get an offer for a full time job after graduation or if you are hoping to intern again next summer.  Remember that 56% of internships turn into real jobs.  You have made it until the end, don't mess it up now.