6 Tips for Acing Your Spring Semester Internship

By Kelsey Mulvey

If you have a flexible schedule, taking on an internship during your spring semester is a great way to boost your résumé between classes. Real-life experience is invaluable, plus you can build the relationships necessary to land a coveted summer internship. And because the spring semester tends to be longer — from January to as late as June — you get to do more than any other semester. Below, six tips for making the most of it:

1. Get personal

You can learn a lot about someone through their Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat accounts, and it’s likely your supervisor has a robust social media platform. Instead of stealthily stalking your manager and praying you don’t accidentally like one of their posts from 2013—use your intel to your advantage. If you noticed your boss live tweets every Bachelor episode, ask him or her their thoughts about that incredibly awkward two-on-one date when there’s some downtime at the office.

If you can’t unearth any common ground, simply asking them about their weekend is a kind gesture. Not only will they likely remember you as being friendly, having something to talk about besides work gives you a great reason to keep in touch. There are some topics you should avoid—religion, politics, dating, and partying. As a basic rule, stick to topics you’d talk about with your friends’ parents.

2. Network outside your team

Make sure every minute counts—including your lunch break. Most interns take those glorious 30 minutes of freedom to text their friends and stay updated on their Instagram feeds, but you should consider setting up an informational interview or two before your last day. Whether it’s that cool beauty editor you bumped into in the bathroom or a features assistant from another publication, asking them out to coffee or lunch is a great way to learn something new and broaden your network. Since EICs and senior editors are usually bogged down with meetings, trips, and deadlines, keep your search to entry-level and mid-level employees. That said, it’s important you don’t let any additional networking get in the way of your job, so make sure you keep your eye on the clock.

3. Be flexible with your schedule

Getting a great education is important, and your editors will understand if you have to leave early to prepare for a mid-term. When you’re not hitting the books, however, it’s important to keep your schedule flexible. That may mean going to the office during your spring break or not bolting for the door at 5 p.m. Stay until the work is done and make sure you ask your boss if there’s anything else you can do before you leave for the night. Trust us, your boss will see that you’re enthusiastic about the opportunity.

4. Volunteer for those menial tasks

Interning isn’t always glamorous. Tasks such as restocking the printer with paper, grabbing coffee, and filing expense reports are tedious and since your boss is very busy, they’re assigned to the interns. If you have a few co-interns, taking one for the team will show your boss that you’re a go-getter.  Once your boss knows you who can get the job done, they might ask you to help them with more exciting projects.

5. Ask for feedback

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: We all need time to get acclimated to a new job. Everyone makes mistakes—even your boss. If you want to end your internship on a positive note, schedule some time with your manager and ask for feedback on your performance. Not only will you learn a couple things for your next internship, your boss will see that you’re a conscientious worker. Plus, if you ever ask your supervisor for a recommendation, they’ll likely look back on your meeting and be more than happy to speak on your behalf.

6. Write thank you notes

You could draft up a quick email before leaving your internship, but crafting a handwritten note to thank your boss for their time and guidance is incredibly thoughtful. Some editors receive hundreds of emails each day, but they don’t receive many handwritten cards. Plus, if you give them a cool-looking card, they may even hang it on their bulletin board, making you top of mind every time they look up.

Kelsey Mulvey is a New York-based writer and commerce reporter at Business Insider. She has written for several publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Time Out New York, LuckyMag.com, Wallpaper.com. Check out more of her work at KelseyMulveyWrites.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.