How To Benefit From An Internship

Prior to commencing the placement, it is a good idea to review what exactly you want to gain from it. Write down some clearly defined objectives, such as the attributes that you hope to develop and experience. You can then discuss these with your employer, if suitable, and analyse how these have been met following the completion of the placement.
When attending the first day of your placement, please ensure that you are prompt. It is likely that the firm will have provided you with a mentor, at least for the initial part of your assignment, and it is vital that you are on time to benefit from this opportunity.
It is also important to your success that you approach each task with a positive “can do” attitude. If you are presented with derivative tasks, approach these with enthusiasm. It will highlight that you are professional, attentive and willing; all attractive attributes to employers. A negative attitude in the workplace is likely to make you feel isolated from the rest of your colleagues.
In order to review how successful you are being in supporting the firm’s objectives, question your supervisor about how you are undertaking the work being assigned to you. It is important to choose the right moment, so as not to detract from the supervisor’s own work, but also to be both honest and attentive. Possibly the most important factor in having a successful placement is to ask suitable questions to ensure that your work is both productive to the firm and useful to your development.
Finally, if you are fortunate enough to be invited to attend any meetings or conferences, we strongly recommend that you attend. This will help you to learn various aspects of the business and to develop contacts that may be useful in your future full-time employment. Crucially, it will certainly help your knowledge of the industry in future interviews.

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