This document provides helpful tips for interns to make the most of their internship experience. It recommends that interns audition for a full-time role, take on impactful projects to build their resume, and get to know colleagues. Interns should understand how their boss prefers to communicate, look for early wins to showcase their contributions, and regularly check in with their manager about goals and progress. Before finishing their internship, interns are advised to have an exit interview and ask for a reference.

1. HELPFUL TIPS FOR INTERNS

2. Table of Contents
 Audition for a Full-Time Position
 Resumé Builder
 Get to Know People
 Understand Your Boss
 Early Wins
 Increase Your Visibility!
 Evaluate Your Progress
 Exit Interview
 Ask for a Reference
 Questions?

3. Audition for a Full-time Position
 Present yourself as someone seeking full-
time employment
 You never want to be anything but pleasant
to work with

4. Resumé Builder
 An internship is a resumé builder and a way
to develop interview material
 Get a project that is tight and results
oriented
 Take ownership of the project

5. Get to Know People
 Get to know everybody, including past
interns, etc
 Be very specific when you ask them for
information
 Find people to have lunch with
 Get to know them personally (probably more towards
the end of your internship)
 Ask your manager, “Who should I get to
know?”

6. Understand Your Boss
 How does he/she like to communicate?
 Does he/she prefer email or communicating in
person?
 Is he/she more visual?
 Does he/she like to get information and then
think about it?

7. Early Wins
 Think about how can you make your boss
look good
 Milestones and tasks
 Focus on early wins that you can market
(but not too much)
 When you meet senior people
 Be prepared to give a quick summary of your projects
 If applicable, offer your hypothesis for solving a
problem you’ve been dealing with

8. Increase Your Visibility!
 Ask to attend a big meeting
 Sometimes WHO in the room is more important than the
topic
 Be conscious of whether or not you should speak
 Were you doing work on the topic?
 If in doubt, check with your supervisor ahead of time
 Go above and beyond the job responsibility
 If you think it adds value and is something you can be
known for
 Be careful—make sure it will NOT change their opinion of
you in undesirable ways
 Ex. If you are in marketing, don’t be doing
hard core IT work

9. Evaluate Your Progress
 Have “check-in” meetings
 Ask “what have I been doing well?”
 Ask “what should I be doing differently?”
 Be open to feedback!
 After that, set goals
 What will you work on next?
 What do you need from your boss to make it happen?
 Journal your accomplishments
 Update your resumé along the way

10. Exit Interview
 Have some kind of exit interview(s)
 Say thank you, wrap up
 Look for seeds to plant for future opportunities
 If the company does not have a formal
process
 Write up a summary of what you have worked on and
get their feedback
 Ask if they can provide you with an introduction to
someone or a group you want to meet or learn about

11. Ask for a Reference
 It does not need to be written
 A written reference is less powerful than if a company
you are applying to can call your former manager
 Ask your boss “Would you be comfortable
being called as a reference?

12. Questions?
 To find out more information and resources:
 Continue browsing the Virtual Career Center
 Visit the Feld Career Center and consult with one of
our counselors!
 Our office is located on the first floor, left of the stairs in the far
left corner.
 Email us at: careers@bu.edu
 Office Hours
 Monday - Friday: 9AM - 5PM