Sadly, all good things must come to an end. As your internship draws to a close, you might be wondering if there is anything else that you would need to do for it to be a fulfilling experience for you and your colleagues. After all, with a bond built over the six months, it might be weird to just pack up and leave in silence. Fret not! We got you covered in the last edition of our internship series: Saying goodbye.
Gratitude
Ah, the last day of the internship. Knowing that it is your last day at the company, it is important to get your contacts before you are denied access to your work email. This is so that you can still remain in contact with your colleagues through other means, aside from email. Why do you need the contacts of your colleagues? Whichever industry you are in, it is always good to know some contacts or to get a mentor’s advice should you want to expand in the field. This is where your colleagues come in! So, before you go, stop by to say goodbye and swap email addresses or WhatsApp numbers, and then make an effort to stay in touch every now and again. People drift out of each other’s lives at an astonishing rate, and if you don’t do anything, you’ll be forgotten among the other interns.
When you leave, you can also consider writing a thank you note to your bosses, supervisors, and/or mentors. While you may be offering your services to the company as an intern in exchange for pay and experience, you must also remember that the company has to put in a lot more work to guide and teach an inexperienced intern. So why not drop them a quick thank you for the time spent? 🙂
Experience
As you walk out of the company on your last day, it officially concluded your role as an intern there. This means that the internship is something that you can conclude on your resume as well. The longer you take to update it, the more likely you are to forget. Hence, we recommend updating it as soon as possible.
When you update your resume/portfolio as soon as possible, you would also be able to note down what you have learnt during your internship with the company, and note down any details pertaining to projects you helped with. This would include figures, values and assets for projects that you have worked on. With these details included, it would also look more conclusive to your future employer who views your resume/portfolio. They can then better understand the role that you played during the project.
This would also give other companies a sign that you are no longer under an internship, and are open to available positions and roles. With the internship in your resume, it also gives them more reason to hire you as a part-time member or freelance. You can even apply for a full term position should you be a graduate from school.
Opportunities
You may also be looking for a full-time job after the internship, or want to extend the internship due to free time after (like the holidays). This is when you can drop a friendly email to your supervisor to ask for an opportunity. Though if you ARE looking for a full-time job or an extension, it should not be raised on the last day of your internship. It is best to approach your supervisor 2-3 weeks in advance so that the administrative and finance department are able to make the necessary edits to your pay.
Begin by requesting a meeting with your supervisor to discuss long-term career options. Let them know how well you have integrated into the company culture, and how much work you have done during your time as an intern. It is important to also remind them of your aspirations and what you can do to help the company soar. Give them a reason to hire you beyond your term as an intern.
You can also request to get into contact with the hiring manager/administrative department to see how best you can keep in touch with the company for any future positions that may open up. It is important to get this contact and stay connected with the company should you wish to come back as a full-timer in the future. With the contact, you can also follow up after a few months to check for any updates on the job. With your record as their past intern, you may be given a higher advantage than anyone else, as you are already well-informed on how the company works. This means that they would not have to waste as much time on training for a new person.
Evaluation
Your internship may not have been the best one. You may have been unhappy for the past 6 months, and am glad that it is finally over. Or you could be on the other end of the spectrum, where you are sad that it is now over, and wished that the period could have been extended. Either way, it is important to reevaluate and reflect on the past internship. This is important as it would help you to identify what you should look out for in your next internship.
Did you have any unrealistic expectations going into the internship? Were you overqualified for the job or underqualified? Were you ever given unwelcome assignments, such as obtaining coffee or making copies, that irritated you? The company is to blame if the internship obligations were changed, resulting in nothing but busy work, unnecessary overtime, or an unfavorable work environment. As a new intern, you were probably too nice to say anything at the time, but you’ve earned the right to be resentful. This is something you can emphasise on for the next internship that you go for. Understanding your rights as an intern would give you a better working experience.
An internship is a wonderful thing that can help you to gain insight and experience in the field that you are interested in. Now that it is over, you leave with new knowledge and hopefully new contacts that you can refer back to when you are interested in heading into the industry full time. Use the internship to build up your skills and expertise, and open doors to opportunities that companies around the world are offering. Congratulations on “graduating” from internship, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours!
Did you like this series? Let us know! Keep a lookout for future polytechnic related articles from Four Blind Mice.
