5 Things to consider Before leaving your Internship

Most interns are hired for a designated time period and both the employer and the intern are aware of when the internship will end. This fact makes it a little easier for interns to plan their exit strategy and check off the things that they want to get done before they leave their internship on a positive note.

Don’t be one of those interns that has forgotten what it was that they hoped to accomplish, even if the internship wasn’t fully what you hoped it would be.

1. Maintain Your Professionalism

You will want to maintain your reputation of being very professional from the first day you start to long after you leave the organization. This means maintaining your honesty and integrity and avoiding any negative communications in any of your correspondence. This is extremely important since one of the reasons to do an internship is to get a good reference and the only way to do that is to let supervisors and co-workers know that you know proper workplace etiquette and understand what it takes to do a good job.

2. Schedule a Meeting With Your Supervisor and Hand in a Final Report

It is important to do this even if you are not asked to do so. Long after your internship is over you will want to have supervisors and co-workers think of you in a positive light. By taking the time to do a complete final report outlining your accomplishments, you will be letting your supervisor know exactly what you’ve been doing over the course of the last several months.

Reports that add value to the future of the organization are especially helpful since it will show them that you were fully engaged in the mission of the organization and that you brought value to the department. A thorough report will also permit the organization to follow through on any projects that they might want to pursue once you have left the organization. Be sure to save examples of your work to share with potential employers down the road.

3. Ask for Recommendations

This can be a tough one for most students but professional recommendations on your LinkedIn site can pave the road to future internship or job offers. Nothing means more than having other individuals value your work.

You may list past accomplishments in your resume and cover letter but having professionals attest to your knowledge, skills, and professional work ethic can make a huge difference when employers are considering your candidacy while still considering other applicants. You can also ask your immediate supervisor for a letter of recommendation to attest to your strong work ethic and ability to do a good job.

4. Create a Way to Keep in Touch With Supervisors and Co-Workers Long After Your Internship Is Over

Since building a professional network is one of the key things you wanted to accomplish at your internship, be sure to touch base with all supervisors and co-workers you worked closely with and share information on how you can keep in touch.

Once your internship has ended you don’t want the people you worked with for an entire semester or for the summer feel that you’ve fallen off the end of the earth. This is the way to make valuable connections for the future when you will be engaging in your job search after graduation.

5. Don’t Forget to Leave Without Saying Thank You

Be sure to take the time to thank everyone who helped to make your internship a success. Single out individuals that went out of their way to help you during the course of your internship, no matter how small a role that they played.

Showing your appreciation will make those individuals that played a key role in your internship feel good about their contribution and they will remember you fondly long after you’re gone.