The kid is being college intern..any tips?

[aap1966]

So, the 19 y.o. has got an internship with her 'dream' employer, small company, but known nationally, the leader in it's field. One of the 2 companies she is aiming for post graduation. She's I.T., with a significant marketing bent.

So, to those in the know: what do the outstanding interns do that the average ones don't? What makes you say to an intern, "You've got a job here anytime you want it"?

I've scanned through the other 'intern' thread, and offered her my own suggestions. The mobile phone is never seen or heard, no discussion on social media, never be idle-even if it means you wash the coffee cups and sweep the floor, no task is beneath you, always be thinking ahead and look professional. As her reply to these was "well, of course Dad", I thought I'd get the insight of managers and business owners who have 'been there, done that'.

Any input gratefully received.

Thanks guys.

[ckelly78z]

We have an engineer intern with our company, and he seems like a good kid, but seems to know it all, just ask him. He also seems to devop an attitude if required to do "hands on" work. If the brass asks me about him, I will relay these two thoughts to them.

I would say if she wants to impress, show an interest in learning the job, try to do things that weren't expected of her....going that extra mile, and always with a cheerful attitude. Volunteer to help out whereever possible, and it wouldn't hurt to buy donuts one morning.....just saying !

[IROC]

I've had several interns over the years (engineering) and what impresses me the most is a willingness to learn and initiative. I've had the "know it all" types and they are the worst. Your daughter is not going to be expected to step in on day one and contribute, but she can step in on day one and be punctual, responsible and mature. Add in the willingness to learn/initiative to jump in with both feet and she will be respected and valued.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

In addition to punctuality, initiative, good attitude, and lack of punk- A respect for the currently employee's time, or at least and understanding that the current employees have a job to do, and are investing their time with the intern.

I recently had to train a replacement for me. He had a very low retention. He would ask a question, say "oh, okay, I got it"- but then he would not get it and repeat the same questions over and over. Some of them 10-15 times over. I am a pretty patient guy, but that got old quick. I wanted to sit him down and say "I don't mind taking the time showing you the answers, but you need to take the time to listen and absorb it."


A good intern will make it a point to find a way to make themselves useful to the staff/company as quickly and smoothly as possible.
A bad intern will be distracting from the jobs at hand.

[Seahawk]

We use interns a lot...mostly engineering types, aero and mechanical.

In addition to what was written above (and I agree wholeheartedly with everything - especially concerning donuts) is to dress accordingly, match the companies dress code until she gets a sense of the place. I have had to send interns home to put a pair of nice pants on when we have client meetings.

My daughter interned for the company she works for as a junior in college. They offered her a part time job her senior year and a full time position when she graduated. The owners even came to her graduation. "She just gets ****z done" was their comment to us, "very rare."

Pay attention, leave your cell phone in your purse, have a sense of humor, get ****z done.

And donuts

[BK911]

Mouth shut ears open.
Listen more than you talk.
Don't be afraid to take notes.

[unclebilly]

I have hired 20+ engineering interns in my career. I have hired half of them full time when they graduated.

The rules for me are:

1. Be honest.
2. Don't get roped into office politics.
3. Don't create drama.
4. Show up. On time.
5. Show initiative.
6. Be positive - you get the crappier more menial jobs, maintain a positive attitude.
7. Accomplish something.
8. Be able to work with minimal direction form time to time.
9. This one is a big deal for millennials - you are not going to be president within 5 years of getting hired on, deal with it. You start at the bottom like we all did.
10. Interns (engineering) are not higher on the totem pole than field staff, don't think otherwise.

[SeanPizzle]

Find the job that nobody wants to do. Do it. With a smile on your face.

[1990C4S]

As with any job, there is but one rule:

Get along with your boss....follow the ten rules Billy posted until you figure out which rules he/she doesn't care about.

[aschen]

Tell her to be over the top respectful and attentive.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

"

leave your cell phone in your purse, have a sense of humor

And donuts

Excellent points.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by IROC

I've had several interns over the years (engineering) and what impresses me the most is a willingness to learn and initiative. I've had the "know it all" types and they are the worst. Your daughter is not going to be expected to step in on day one and contribute, but she can step in on day one and be punctual, responsible and mature. Add in the willingness to learn/initiative to jump in with both feet and she will be respected and valued.

Well, I was going to comment on this question but IROC says it all. I've had 1-2 interns per summer for going on 10 years. Show her what he said, it's golden.

In our lab we had a chemical sink that was fed by our very, very hard tap water. It was always covered in lime deposits. We had one intern who came in, and when everyone was too busy to give him a task, made it his mission to keep that sink clean. No one in our staff would lower themselves to clean the sink unless I raised hell, but this kid kept it sparkling in addition to doing everything else assigned to him. The sink was a metaphor for all the other things he did above and beyond, like volunteering to research phone plans when ours was about to run out. Kid is still with me, ten years later. To this day he hasn't let on that he is f'kin brilliant, you have to spend time with him to realize it.

[Scott Douglas]

My kid interned at a company that needed him/wanted him on their baseball team one summer. It was really gratifying to me as a father when he told me his manager took him to lunch one day and told him if he ever needed a job he had one for him. I'm sure you'll be in the same boat with your daughter from the sounds of it.
From what I've heard about most interns these days is that they don't want to work, feel entitled and expect the company to conform to their needs rather than the other way around. From what you've said about your daughter, I don't think she'll have any problems at all.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by aap1966

So, to those in the know: what do the outstanding interns do that the average ones don't?

They give a shiet. They help. They demonstrate they care. Take a monkey off his/her back. Don't add one.

Whatever that is, tell your daughter to figure it out.

Not one iota of tude. Even if the boss is a tard.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Saw this thread this morning 3 minutes before going to work and posted the best I could on the spot. Then I drove into work, thinking, "How could I say it better?"
On the way in I came up with (what I thought was) the ultimate response,
But this is better. This sums it all up.
Good interns:

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Take a monkey off his/her back. Don't add one..

Everything else falls into line.

[RedBaron]

I just graduated college with degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Luckily, I obtained an engineering internship for two years with the same company and they extended an offer to me. Pelican actually gave me some great advice which helped me ace the interview. The best advice I could give is to show enthusiasm in your work and do any task regardless of how meaningless it may appear to be. People love talking about what they do as well so it is important to ask lots of questions and listen. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions. Feel free to PM me if you want any more advice.

Also, always look like you're annoyed...This way people think you're busy.

[Cajundaddy]

Show up early, leave her phone in her car, ask the boss at 2pm if there is anything she can do to help, leave late, don't ask for a bunch of time off for personal stuff. Maximum focus, minimum distraction.

My wife brings in a lot of interns every year. The good ones are guaranteed a job, the lousy ones get returned to the street.

[porsche4life]

Kick ass every day.... When I was an intern I consistently had more hours of overtime than any other intern, and a few weeks more than the entire pool of 30 interns combined! I never said no to any trip, or hours, and kept pushing. I logged nearly 30k miles on my company car in 6 months, and had weeks with more sales than the full time guys. I finished my internship and had a year of college left. They kept me on a nice hourly wage and let me keep the company car to drive to visit clients while I finished school and then offered me a handsome salary on graduation.

[fintstone]

You either need to make everyone like you so much that it doesn't really matter what you do...or be so darned good that it doesn't matter if anyone likes you or not. Since both of these extremes are pretty rare, your best combination of the two seem to be best.

I always try to arrive before my boss and leave after...even if only by a few minutes.

Don't delegate upward. That is a major millennial trait. If assigned a task, it should not make a bunch more work for others. I mentor millennials who constantly ask me questions that I have to go research and bring them the answer. They can read the company benefits plan, job decriptions, policies the same as I can. Read and learn them then ask me if confused.

Stop complaining. I walked to school uphill both ways in a snowstorm...even in summer. Your pay/lifestyle is likely far superior to mine at your age and your whining about it is annoying.

I don't care that you have a lot if student loans or that you found out your boyfriend is really gay.

Please don't flirt excessively or hit on me unless you really mean it...and then, realize that...if I was really interested...I would respond (of course, also realize that would likely cost both of us our jobs). Realize that your continuing to do so likely terrifies me...makes me fear for my job and may make my peers and superiors doubt my ability to lead. Also realize that being to "familiar" with married superiors or peers may create problems with spouses...even if platonic. I am likely being nice because you remind me of my daughter...when she was a child.

Dress like an adult. If everyone constantly stares at you...unlike high school, that is not a good thing. Flip flops and spaghetti straps are not usually work attire. If you are wearing yoga pants...and are not in a yoga class...that might be a clue. For men, if everyone else has short hair and is clean shaven...expect that a beard and ponytail might make it more difficult to fit in. The same with body art.

Bathe and brush your teeth. Don't come to work sleepy it with a hangover. Don't ever cry at work.

Be on time.

Don't act like you think you are smarter or better than me or other employees...even if you are. We will notice, you don't have to tell us.

Don't meet with our bosses...even if they tell you to stop by any time...and tell us if they insist. They probably don't mean it...and even if they don't trick you into providing "intel" about superiors and peers...we will suspect they did.

Don't think that allowing other employees to look bad, making them look bad, or talking up their problems helps you in any way. The guy you step on today may be the boss by the end of your internship.

[aap1966]

Thanks guys.
Very interesting to hear the view from those dealing with interns, certainly some recurrent themes here.
I'll let you guys know how she goes.