Just Say “Hi”
The main purpose of internships is to show the intern what actually occurs in the real world and not just in the classroom. However, there is also another purpose to internships, which we hear about all the time, and that is to network. Internships give you the opportunity to network with people in the industry who can help you move forward in your career. Even if you are looking to work in a different industry or if the person works in a different department, you do not know how one person can help.
During my internship, I spoke to everyone in each department, even the host of the show. I just came up and said “Hi, I am Chris, I just started interning here” and then a small conversation occurred. However, that did not mean that I should consider them in my network. I had multiple conversations with everyone throughout my time about anything, about the industry, how they got into it, what they do because I was interested in how everything worked, and then at the end of my information I exchanged my information with them, and have even asked for help already. Fortunately, my company had a very friendly environment, so it was easier to talk to everyone, and learn more, but that does not mean I would not have tried to introduce myself to others in a different environment.