Succeed during the experience

Your first-week checklist

• Clarify your goals, responsibilities and priorities.
• Ask how your supervisor prefers to communicate.
• Confirm work hours, attendance and remote-work expectations.
• Learn the organization’s norms for email, meetings, dress and confidentiality.
• Ask what tools, systems or policies you need to learn.
• Schedule regular check-ins if they aren’t already established.
• Start a private accomplishment log, without copying confidential employer information.

Professional habits that matter

• Reliability: Be on time, meet deadlines and communicate early when something changes.
• Curiosity: Ask thoughtful questions after first trying to understand the problem.
• Feedback: Request it, receive it professionally, and show how you used it.
• Ownership: Take notes, follow through and bring possible solutions, not only problems.
• Communication: Give concise updates and confirm expectations when directions are unclear.
• Relationships: Learn from people beyond your immediate supervisor while respecting their time.
• Confidentiality: Treat organizational, client, research and personnel information appropriately.

If something goes wrong

Start with facts: what happened, what expectation was unclear, what you’ve already tried, and what outcome you need. When appropriate, address routine concerns directly with your supervisor.

Turn the experience into career capital

Keep an accomplishment log

• Projects completed
• Problems solved
• Tools, software, methods or equipment used
• Presentations, reports, analyses or deliverables created
• People or teams you collaborated with
• Feedback you received
• Numbers that show scope or results
• New skills and NACE competencies demonstrated
• Moments that changed your career interests

Reflection questions

• What did I learn about myself?
• Which tasks gave me energy? Which drained me?
• What skills became stronger?
• What surprised me about this field or workplace?
• What feedback did I receive repeatedly?
• What would I want more (or less) of in my next experience?
• Would I pursue this type of work again? Why or why not?
• What story from this experience best demonstrates my value?

After the internship

• Thank your supervisor and key colleagues.
• Ask whether they’re comfortable serving as a future reference.
• Update your resume and LinkedIn while details are fresh.
• Save non-confidential work samples you have permission to keep.
• Connect professionally with colleagues and alumni.
• Schedule a Career Development appointment to translate the experience into next-step goals.

Your internship isn’t the finish line. The value comes from what you learned, how you explain it, who you stayed connected with, and what you do next.