What I Have Learned (So Far) From My Summer Internship

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This summer, I was fortunate enough to get an internship. I was so excited to finally be an intern! The thought of doing coffee runs like characters on TV shows just excited me. But so far, being an intern has taught me so much more than I expected. No, I have not done any of the famous, stereotypical coffee runs, but I have learned skills and lessons that will go a long way.

Being an intern has made me see the importance of professionalism. I have learned how important presenting yourself can be. I was so nervous about my interview. I could not stop reading professional advice online. When I arrived for my interview, I was dressed in professional clothing, made sure to make eye contact, smiled, and explained what I was looking to get out of the internship. My boss hired me on the spot. I kept on showing how professional I was by arriving on time, maintaining a businesslike relationship with my boss, and writing emails in a professional manner.

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Thanks to my internship, I have mastered organization skills. Since my boss is a wedding/event planner, I see how organized she is. Working next to her teaches me how to efficiently arrange everything and make the most out of my time. She keeps each event in a binder, uses sticky notes, has an agenda that she checks on a daily basis, and has her clients contact information handy. Being an intern for her means that I have to be as organized and as tidy as she is. I keep a folder on my laptop specifically for blog posts and wedding/event photos, a list full of ideas, and a separate folder with articles that I show my boss.

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This may sound a bit cheesy but being an intern has allowed me to see that I am capable of doing more than I expect. On the first day, I had no idea what I was doing. I even questioned why I was an intern. I saw myself as the stereotypical, shy intern. I eventually got the hang of working. In fact, I came up with new ideas that my boss ended up loving. I have a list full of ideas that I just keep adding on to. Just thinking about ideas and sharing them has shown me that speaking up can make a huge difference. I see myself as a better intern than when I first started out. Also, I found out that it’s all right to make mistakes. I have made numerous mistakes but that only helped me to learn and grow more.

So far, working at an internship has only inspired me to do better when I take classes. I absolutely love everything that I am doing at my internship, as it relates to my major. I want to work harder to get into the school of my dreams and finally be able work on classes related to my major.

There are so many more benefits that come along with getting an internship. I’m gaining great experience, I have a recommendation letter waiting for me, I am forming connections, I get to learn about an interesting business, and so much more. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me as an intern.