5 Ways To Stand Out As An Intern

By Uloop Guest Writer on September 3, 2014

Image via http://www.falkondigital.com

Summer is under way, which means a lot of hopeful grads are in the shallow-end of their internships.

If you’re working a summer internship, it’s time to wade closer to the deep end, where all the full-time employees are hanging out.

Unfortunately, ambition alone won’t get you into this exclusive pool of winners. To swim in the deep end, you’ll need to stand out from the crowd, and set yourself apart from other contenders.

Because high-quality internships have competitive recruiting requirements, it’s likely you’re asking yourself, “What can I do to stand out?”

The following are five ways you can prove your worth, stand out and get hired. Your internship is your one chance to dive into the career of your dreams, and getting there is easier when you employ these strategies.

1. Dress for Success

It should be common sense to dress professionally, but for many recent college grads it simply isn’t. Take note of how hired employees are dressed, and manage your wardrobe accordingly.

It’s okay to have style and stand out, but remember there are limits. You don’t want negative attention when you’re trying to score a new job, so ditch the college casuals and opt for more work-appropriate attire.

2. Communicate

Don’t be shy! Communication is a key factor in any career, and if you can prove the ability to communicate effectively in your internship you’re guaranteed to stand out.

“The ability to clearly articulate your point of view and create a connection is an important skill to have,” says Alexa Hamill, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ U.S. campus recruiting leader.

Here are some tips for communicating more effectively from HelpGuide.org:

-Fully focus on the speaker; make the speaker feel heard and understood.

-Create a safe environment where everyone is free to express ideas, opinions, feelings and plans.

-Avoid conflicts and misunderstandings by helping to clarify information.

-Show interest.

-Ask for feedback after you’ve communicated something.

3. Be Flexible

It’s common sense that if you want to keep your internship, you’ll need to do responsible things, such as be on time every day.

But, if you want to stand out, you’ll need to be flexible. Prove you’re flexible by altering your own schedule to accommodate someone else’s, or solving difficult problems that are outside of your comfort zone.

If you keep an open mind, you’ll remain flexible. Never look at a seemingly impossible problem/obstacle and say, “this can’t be done.” Instead, you’ll want to keep an open mind and face difficulties by asking, “what can be done to make this happen?”

4. Take Initiative

If you can prove you’re a problem-solver, you’re setting yourself apart from your competition. Instead of waiting for a problem to come to you, take some initiative and create solutions.

A great example of taking initiative is to actively seek out ways the business can save money.

Believe it: If you save the company money, you will not be forgotten when it comes time to choose interns for permanent positions.

Here are some ways to save the company money:

-Look for available tax credits. ADP reports that “there are 3,000 Federal and State incentives available, but 50 percent go unclaimed.”

-Suggest green initiatives that will cut costs, such as purchasing recycled printer cartridges.

-Clean up mailing lists, and eliminate non-responders.

5. Network and Socialize

Finally, it’s essential to network and socialize with the upper-executives.

Specially, you should be schmoozing the people in charge of hiring. Let your best personality shine, but remember to use a work-appropriate filter. Don’t regale anyone with any college black-out nights, but do tell people funny anecdotes that are relative to your workplace.

Keep the balance, and you’ll keep them in your pocket, and when it comes time to hire, the right people will remember your winning personality.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format