1. Making the
Most of your
Summer
Internship

2. Learning Objectives
 Identify strategies to make you
successful at your internship
 Learn how to use internship to clarify
career goals
 Identify strategies on how to proceed
when you are not given guidelines

3. Overview
 We will discuss…
- What to do before the internship
- What to do during the internship
- What to do after the internship

4. Before the Internship
Find out key information – Who, What, When,
Where?
Training
Orientation/Onboarding
Daily schedule
Pay
What hours are you working? Weekends?
Where do you go on your first time? What time
do you report?
Plan out your commute
Get your paperwork in order

5. Before the Internship
 Chart your goals
- What skills do you want to develop?
- Who do you want to meet?
- What projects do you want to take on?
 Think back to when you first found your internship.
Why did you apply?
- List 3 goals you want to accomplish during your
internship
Set realistic goals and revisit periodically throughout
internship. This will help you make sure you are on
the right track.

6. Working With Your Supervisor
 Meet with Supervisor
- Set expectations for this early on
- Ask for feedback
“As an intern you may not have a formal review
until the end of the summer so it’s important to ask
for feedback on a regular basis”
 Clarify Objectives
- Goals, expectations, evaluate performance
 Questions, questions, questions
- This is the best part of being an intern! It is also
expected.

7. Scenario
 Julia has been at her internship for 3
weeks and has not had a meaningful
conversation with her supervisor since
her first few days there. She is
frustrated and running out of things to
keep herself occupied.
 What are some things Julia can do to
improve her situation?

8. Scenario
 John is interning and has been asked
to make copies multiple times a week
and is not excited about a filing
responsibility he was recently given.
 What should Joe do?

9. Daily Goals
 Stay positive: complete all of your
assignments with the same level of enthusiasm
& professionalism
 Be adaptable: willingness to show that you are
a team player goes a long way towards
selling yourself for future opportunities
 Be a sponge: soak up information, ask
questions!
 Take initiative: raise your hand & offer
solutions

10. Personal Branding
“Your brand is what people say about
you when you’re not in the room”
Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon
 Monitor office culture
 Be professional
 Stay focused
 Dress appropriately

11. Personal Branding
 Mind the office culture
- What are ways you can monitor this?
 Focus on your work
 Be professional
 Dress appropriately

12. Make Connections
 Mary has set a goal to expand her
professional network. How can she do
this?
 Network, Network, Network!
- Bond with other interns
- Participate in “extracurricular activities”
- Use your intern access to ask questions
and meet professionals
- Attend a UNC alumni event

13. Activity
 What will you do to achieve your
goals? What steps will you take?
*Tip: set small, manageable action items
Example: Schedule a meeting, coffee or
lunch with 2 professionals each week.

14. After
 Stay in touch
 Set yourself reminders to check-in
 Think broadly
- These professionals may connect you with
professionals in other organizations
 Pay it forward

15. Final Thoughts
“Use this opportunity as a way to start
developing yourself as a professional
who delivers quality work with a great
attitude. In turn this could lead to
recommendations, lasting business
relationships, and a full-time job.”
Ryan Kahn
Career Coach & founder of The Hired Group