End on a Good Note: What to Do Before You Leave Your Internship
The summer is flying by and it’s hard to believe your internship is halfway over. Hopefully, by July, you’ve settled into your position, learned the ins and outs of the company, and things are going smoothly. As you approach the end of the summer, keep in mind the following suggestions to ensure a strong conclusion to your experience.
DON’T slack off.
You’ve likely been working hard the past several weeks. You’ve learned new things, added strong value to the company, and you’ve made a good impression. We’ve all heard the term “senioritis”, right? “Internitis” can occur when students approach the end of an internship term and begin to slack off. Not a good idea. Even if you’ve made a great impression all term, your supervisor and coworkers will remember if you leave work undone or don’t tie up loose ends when you leave. If you are hoping for a future recommendation, return offer, or simply strong contacts, you need to put in 100% effort until the very last day.
Update your resume.
Reflect on what you have accomplished over the course of the summer and begin updating your resume now. A week or so before the end of the term, ask your supervisor to look at it and provide any recommendations for details you’ve missed or details that could be explained better. Don’t wait until you’ve returned to campus, begun classes, and forgotten the specifics of your role to add the position to your resume. Feel free to also make an appointment with ECS (we’re here all summer) for a virtual resume review!
Schedule a formal review with your supervisor.
If you don’t already have a formal performance review meeting with your supervisor, schedule a meeting 1-2 weeks prior to your last day. It’s important to receive feedback on what you did well and what you can approve upon as you return to school and prepare for future positions. You may use the Performance Evaluation survey that ECS has created unless the company already has their own.
Schedule an exit interview with your company's HR Representative.
This meeting is important for two reasons:
- It is your chance to provide YOUR feedback to the company. Are there things you feel could improve the internship program? Are there suggestions for making it a better experience for future students? Be respectful with your feedback but know that just like a performance evaluation helps you improve, exit interviews can help the company improve.
- This is also the time to talk about future opportunities with the company. Do they have open positions for next year? What is the process like if you want to work for them another term/full-time? Make sure to express your interest if you’d like to return and provide them with your newly updated resume.
Say goodbye and gather contact information.
Whether you plan to work for this company again or not, there are likely people with whom you want to stay in touch. Send them all an email thanking them for their time and guidance. Request to connect with them on LinkedIn. For those you have worked with closely, ask them if they’d be willing to provide a LinkedIn recommendation or be used as a reference in the future. You never know when these contacts may come in handy for future job or professional development questions.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and make the most of your experience!
“Starting strong is good. Finishing strong is epic.” – Robin Sharma
