4 Ways to Lose the Perfect Internship

Internships have almost become a rite of passage, especially for those in graduate programs. While coaching students as they prepare to interview, on more than one occasion I have been pulled into discussions about which internship would be the “best”.

Honestly, almost any internship is a good one. The goal is to get experience, especially for students who have yet to get their first full-time, after-graduation job.

Sometimes students become their own worst enemy, over analyzing opportunities or just plain freaking out over details that will not make a difference when they look back in one year.

In the meantime, the perfect internship is going to someone else.

Don’t let this happen to you! I’ve identified Four Ways to Lose the Perfect Internship:

1. Focus on your dream company and job titles. Too many times I see students only target large, well-known brands for an internship. What’s wrong with this? First, competition is fierce since most students will target the same companies, lessening your chance of earning one of very few spots. Second, since the goal is to gain experience, a smaller company may provide more opportunity to actually get your hands dirty; to learn and interact with all levels of the organization.  Don’t lose a great opportunity with a smaller company by focusing only on your dream company. Big brands are fine, yet there are plenty of smaller companies that will provide an internship that’s just as good, if not better.
2. Worry more about having a job offer at graduation. A common theme I hear is, “I want an internship at XYZ Company because I want to work for them when I graduate”.  The assumption is an internship automatically leads to a job offer at graduation. Oh, I wish it were that easy! While it may happen, it’s not always the case. Despite your best efforts, the company will compare you to other interns and may decide you are not the best fit for full-time employment. Or they may want to make you an offer but for financial reasons simply cannot extend one at the time.  Once I had a student who received an offer at the end of her internship, only to be on pins and needles when the company later considered rescinding the offer due to a financial crisis. So much for “best laid plans”.  If you focus your energy on what “might” happen after the internship, you could miss a great opportunity NOW. Remember, an internship is not a guarantee of full-time employment. Even if you don’t intern with the company, you can still interview for full-time work at graduation.
3. Focus on pay. I get it; you need to eat during the internship. That said, your focus should be on what you will be doing vs. how much you will make. If it were me, I’d want an understanding of the projects and tasks I would be working on throughout the program. Will I be part of meetings? How will this internship let me use my skills and/or teach me how to be a valuable member of the team? At the end of the program, you should be able to add at least one or two achievements to your resume. The worst thing that could happen is you spend a summer with a nice paycheck yet have learned nothing. That’s a waste of time.
4. Believe you will be “stuck” at the company or in the industry. Actually, an internship is the opposite of being “stuck”. Think of an internship as a two-month opportunity to “try it before you buy it”. In other words, you do not have to accept an offer of full-time employment, just like the company is under no obligation to make you an offer. What an awesome deal!   Think about what this means: there are NO mistakes with an internship! If you would rather work in a different industry at graduation, it’s your prerogative. Take the internship, learn as much as you can – including what you don’t like – and move forward.

Remember, the goal of an internship is to get experience in your field to build your resume. It’s a two-month opportunity to grab as much learning as you can from a company, with no strings attached.

Still, this process causes anxiety for many students who worry about making the right choice, wondering if their career will be ruined by an error in judgment.

Unless it’s an error of epic, Biblical proportions, it’s doubtful your entire career will be ruined by your internship.

Pick one, learn as much as you can, and start your career. It’s that simple.