Thursday, August 16, 2012

3 Tips For The End of Your Internship

Here I am in the last week of my internship and I can’t help but wonder—where did the last two months go? Many of my duties may be over and done with, but it’s not time to slack off yet. There’s still plenty of time to make a good lasting impression.

How do I do this? You may ask. Here are three things you should do before you leave to make sure you’re remembered as the best intern your editors were ever lucky enough to hire.

1. Write thank-you notes. Take the time to write out personal thank-you notes to the people who helped you along during your internship. These could be particular editors or other people you saw as mentors during your time at the Mag. Making that extra effort will go a long way in being remembered positively.

2. Get contact information. Make sure there’s a way to stay in contact with the people you’ve gotten to know during your internship. Exchange phone numbers, e-mails or connect on Facebook or LinkedIn. After you get that contact information, use it! Use your good judgment when staying connected—an e-mail every couple of months is good. An e-mail every couple of hours is not.

3. Keep working hard. Just because it’s your last day doesn’t mean you can slack off. The best way to show that you’re a great intern isn’t by schmoozing your bosses or being extra friendly—it’s your excellent work ethic. If the editors know it’s your last day, they may be paying extra attention to you over the course of the day. It’s time to shine!

I truly can’t believe that my time at the Mag is pretty much over. I’ve learned so much and gained tons of experience. Though sometimes the workload and other circumstances could be challenging, I can now go forward with the confidence that I’ve faced those challenges and beat them.

I’ve learned how to fact check and do meaningful story research. I know what kinds of photos are good for magazines and which are not. I’ve developed an eye for detail and a better phone and interview presence.

I also can go forth knowing that this is definitely something I want to pursue. This was my first magazine internship, and I enjoyed it so much. I love being able to see all the complicated processes that go into producing a magazine, and I can appreciate that work so much more now.

What about you, Edsters? What did you learn from your summer internships?

Over and Out,
Ed's Regional Intern


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