It is important for any students to do an internship, as this learning experience will expose them to the corporate world. An internship provides new learning skills and hands-on experience in a particular job. An internship is a valuable college experience that teaches students how to act and perform professionally in the corporate as well as in the real world.
An internship adds value to your resume. But if you are not careful during your internship period you may end up wasting your time. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, approximately 52% of interns are finally offered full-time jobs.
You as an intern should always be open to learning new things and should not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. If you are a career-oriented student doing internship then you should avoid the following mistakes given below.
1. Taking internship casually
- Most of the interns do not treat an internship like a job. They do just for the sake of adding value in the resume.
- You won’t be able to learn the fine skills required in the corporate world due to your casual attitude.
- You need to evaluate how your action and behavior are going to impact your career in the short and long term.
- You should seek a professional approach throughout your internship. Otherwise, it will create a bad impression on your senior staff.
- Remember, an internship is a job and it is the first chance to experience the corporate world. So complete it in a professional manner.
2. Disrespecting office culture
- Most of the interns have a habit of complaining about the policies of the company.
- Do not mix your personal life with professional life. Do not constantly talk about the aspect of your personal life.
- You are not adhering with the dress code of the company.
3. Improper time management
- One of the most common mistakes that most of the interns do is not able to manage time.
- Most of the interns have a habit of doing things at the last moment as they were doing in college. You should avoid missing deadlines.
- You should able to manage not only time but also concentration.
- Do not sit at your desk all day. Try to meet new people and learn about the business.
4. Not noting down the things
- Interns assume that they will remember everything. They do not write the thing and create a remainder.
- You should form one to-do-list and update it regularly.
- If a very bad habit to ask your supervisor to repeat the whole procedure again. College behavior won’t work in professional life.
- An advantage of writing the things is you will be able to keep a track of every activity.
5. Not asking question and feedback
- As an intern, you are not exposed to work in a team. You will learn gradually.
- You should try to communicate with your supervisor or manager regularly.
- You should ask your doubts and feedback. This will help you a lot in understanding your work.
- A lot of interns overlook this step, expecting managers to deliver feedback only if something critical comes up.