Ways to Stand Out During Your Internship

You’ve found that perfect internship you’ve always wanted and you’re about to start your first day in the hustle and bustle of New York City. Maybe there’s a whole group of interns of maybe you’re the only one in a sea of much more experienced, senior colleagues. You want to stand out to get a good recommendation or maybe even a job after your internship finishes, but how?

Perfect your timing

Timing is key in an internship, particularly at the beginning. It’s important to be on time (or even slightly early) for work not only on your first day but on every day of your internship. Being on time won’t make you stand out on its own, of course, but being late will do the exact opposite--people remember lateness more than you may expect. Equally, timing is important when you leave at the end of the day. It makes a bad impression if you frequently have to leave work early so try to always stay until the end of your specified hours and, if possible, later (only if there is work to do). 

However, this doesn’t mean you should let your employer take advantage of you; staying late occasionally shows your enthusiasm for the job but it’s not necessary to stay more than a little after your contractual hours unless you’re specifically asked to do so. Your lunch break should be short and sweet; you can gauge from the other members of your office what the normal habit of taking lunch is in your company. As above, the important thing here is simply not to make a negative impression which makes you stand out for the worst.

Know when to talk to your supervisor and when to keep to yourself

This is a key tip to standing out as an intern in your new company. Always keep in mind that, although you’re doing work for your supervisor, you’re also creating work for them because they have to spend time creating tasks for you and checking over your work. On top of this, they have their own work to do which may be completely unrelated to the piece that you’re working on, meaning they have a lot to think about beyond just supervising you. This means that you have to find the balance between being proactive and being restless. 

Typical advice for interns is to be proactive, which of course is important, but if you’ve finished a piece of work at the same time as you can see your supervisor having a minor work crisis, the best thing is to wait until they’re available to talk. At the same time, don’t twiddle your thumbs idly and be honest when you have the capacity to take on more work. 

Before you ask a question, think about whether you could work the answer out by yourself by simply Googling it. Supervisors will be impressed with independent workers who need little supervision, while at the same time you should always reach out if necessary. Standing out is rooted in how much value your work adds to the company; did you make life easier or harder for your supervisor during your internship? The people who make life easier are the people who get hired.

Be kind and transparent

Everyone who works in the company you’re interning in is human, too. Humans appreciate kindness and can tell when someone is being untruthful or overly competitive. If there are other interns in your company, don’t see them as rivals, but as colleagues. Offer to help with the work of others without always needing to take the credit for everything you do. Be helpful and kind at every opportunity you see (does your colleague look tired? Make them a coffee!). If you put the good of the team and the company ahead of your own personal agenda, people will take notice. It’s that type of person that your supervisor will want permanently on their team.