Every summer since I was seventeen has been spent at an internship in NYC. I love being busy and gaining experience was a priority for me. With each internship I’ve had I’ve made mistakes and grown. I’ve had summers with miserable lows and exciting highs and hopefully, you can avoid making the same intern mistakes I made.
1. I was super quiet.
I was a mere freshman and I guess I let that get the best of me. I’m usually incredibly talkative and social but with this internship, I wouldn’t even say “Good morning” or “Goodbye.” I would just leave like a ghost or a whisper in the wind. This was a mistake because I didn’t let my co-workers, boss or fellow interns get to know who I really was. I seemed like a timid, boring person when it reality I’m not that way.
What I wish I’d done: I wish I had been more talkative and had gotten involved in more conversations. I should have made more of a point to say good morning and farewell. I should have let my personality come through.
2. I didn’t try to socialize with other interns.
I liked them enough and we’re now friends on Facebook, but I wish I’d tried to get lunch with them or maybe grab dinner after work. It’s always nice to have friends and people in the same field as you.
What I wish I’d done: I wasn’t old enough to drink, so getting drinks was out of the question…but, there was more I could have done. I wish I’d made a point to connect with other interns and invite them to check out the new dessert place down the block or grab lunch. I do this now and I pride myself in being the kind of person who rallies and tries to get a group going wherever I go.
3. I didn’t keep in touch.
My editor was really sweet and knowledgeable but after the internship, aside from a thank you card a few days after it ended, I didn’t stay in touch. I genuinely couldn’t think of how to when I hadn’t made a point to really make connections with those I worked with.
What I wish I’d done: This totally ties back to my first point—had I made a point to be social and talkative and actually be myself, keeping in touch wouldn’t be nearly as hard! In internships since I’ve gotten a lot better and being myself and staying in touch is so much easier when you have inside jokes or common ground to send Instagram DMs and quick texts about.
4. I didn’t track my progress.
By the time the internship ended, it was hard for me to see just how much I’d done. I ended up leaving out figures and numbers that could’ve looked impressive simply because I forgot to get them.
What I wish I’d done: Made a spreadsheet to track the articles I created and the before and after statistics for social media and pageviews, when possible.
5. I worked for free (or below minimum wage).
I constantly let myself be undervalued, especially when a lot of these companies had me doing large amounts of work that was worth time and money.
Stipends are basically code for “We’re underpaying you, but stipend makes it sound legal!” At one internship, my monthly stipend actually averaged out to about $4 an hour, which isn’t even half of the minimum wage. The summer before I worked for free and was paid in free lunches. I lost money both of these summers and thankfully my parents were willing to help me get by.
What I wish I’d done: Honestly? I can’t change much. The sad truth is that a lot of internships are unpaid. Had I gotten a fairly paid one (which I tried to do for those two summers), I would have taken it. This is something the industry needs to change because students shouldn’t have to pay for experience when they’re already paying for college and are doing work for free. No one should be working for free, even if they’re young.
6. I accepted my first offer.
Later, I ended up getting a better and more relevant internship offer but I had already committed to (and started) my previous internship. I always regretted accepting the first offer I got, but I was too nervous I’d end up with nothing at all.
What I wish I’d done: I wish I’d had more confidence in myself and weighed my options. I should have been a lot more patient before making a rash decision.
7. I never took time off.
When I was interning, I felt like asking for a day off here and there would be frowned upon. I wanted to impress everyone and work really hard, but ultimately I should have been more okay with taking a vacation or a day off when needed. The summer is short, but everyone deserves a day off.
What I wish I’d done: I wish I had struck a better work-life balance in my life and allowed myself to ask for a day off here and there. There’s no shame in taking a day off. In fact, it shows employers you know how to balance your life.
For further reading, check out 10 Things I wish I’d known before starting an internship.
