What you can do during an internship

An internship is a period of work experience offered by organisations primarily to students or recent graduates. Summer internships usually last between 2-3 months although some internships may be for a year. Internships are an opportunity to learn about an industry, obtain work experience and apply skills you have been taught at university or college. 

Whether an internship proves useful for you depends on several factors including:

• How much effort you put in
• Whether you get along well with your supervisor and co-workers
• How quickly you learn and develop your skills
• The organisational culture

The responsibilities of an intern can vary depending on the field or industry you are working in, as well as the specific company or organization you are interning for. Here are some of the things you can do during an internship.

Learning and gaining experience

The primary responsibility of an intern is to learn and gain experience in their chosen field. This may involve attending training sessions, undertaking formal learning or attending workshops.

You may also have the opportunity to shadow a more senior or experienced member of staff. This will involve observing them as they perform their daily duties and learning what their role involves. The purpose of this is to gain insight into what it’s like to work in the industry. Once you have shadowed them for a while, you may be able to assist with their responsibilities and even take some of them over. 

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Assisting with tasks and projects

Interns are often given tasks and projects to complete which, depending on the industry and organisation, can include: 

• Creating reports or presentations
• Research 
• Managing social media including designing and sending posts
• Organising events
• Administrative tasks such as taking minutes or meeting clients 
• Learning technical skills related to the industry 

Networking

Undertaking an internship is a great way to meet new people, build positive working relationships and start to build your network. It’s never too early to start building your network and you never know when contacts you make will prove useful in your future career. 

Connect with your co-workers, fellow interns and any other people you meet on LinkedIn to keep in contact once your internship is completed. This means that they can also endorse the skills learned during your internship. 

Overall, interns have a valuable role to play in organizations, and their responsibilities are designed to help them learn and grow while also contributing to the success of the company.

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