How to Make the Most Out of a Summer Internship

Summer internships are becoming an increasingly more common way high school students spend their summer. Between preparing for the SAT/ACT, volunteering, attending summer camps, and hanging out with friends to recharge, it makes sense that one would want to make the most out of an internship.

In order to make the most out of an internship, there are things to keep in mind regardless of the industry and position. nd while you are ready to do work and be a useful resource throughout your internship, you also have the opportunity to take away your own valuable experience from that time.

During my freshman year summer, I did an internship at a local hospital, shadowing nurse practitioners, cleaning medical equipment, and checking in and discharging patients. While I ultimately took a completely different path unrelated to healthcare, I was able to gauge whether healthcare was the right fit for me through this internship.

I was also able to take less industry-specific, but just as valuable, skills to other organizations and professional experiences. For example, interacting with patients everyday for a summer made it easier for me to approach strangers when I was campaigning for student government at my school.

Most importantly, I was able to determine whether working in a hospital was even the right fit for me. During internships, a lot of people focus on the end goal of listing a prestigious internship on your resume that will help you get into college. But internships are also there to help steer you towards a completely different path if you discover that it is not the best fit for you. One rule of thumb is that if you can see yourself doing the same things as your manager and other full-time coworkers, then it could be a good sign this is the right path for you.

Asking questions, being present, and offering assistance are some ways to get the most of your experience. Asking questions such as why things are done a certain way, what value does a certain task add for the team, and how things are done effectively can help you gain perspectives that would be difficult to pick up on through a Google search.While you can ask these questions to the people you directly work with on a day to day basis, it is also perfectly okay and even encouraged to reach out to those you don’t work with by setting up informational meetings (or “coffee chats”) dedicated to learning about someone’s career path and relevant experiences. Some internships foster this through lunch-and-learns and panel discussions, but this can be a great way to ask the questions you want to ask but also develop relationships with those you work with.

Oftentimes, interns are very limited as they come to the organization with little experience. Being present and engaged with the work you do and taking the initiative to ask the right questions are crucial factors that will enable you to take away valuable information and experiences from your internship. And it’s always good to remember that while you are helping the team, they are also helping you and your development.

— Mentor Ruby

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