Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

3 Key Advices for All Interns

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius

          It’s been approximately three weeks since I last posted but it’s been extremely busy here at MassChallenge. Since my last post, I have gone on a Scavenger Hunt with the other interns, helped re-design the entire MassChallenge office for the incoming 125 companies, attended a handful of networking events, and visited at least 20 restaurants with the entire interns (sorry bank account)! Needless to say, it’s turning into a really busy summer but I absolutely love it. In addition, I’ve been taking on a new project which I can’t wait to tell you about. Next week, the finalists will be moving in for boot camp so the week will be filled with festivities!

With that being said, here are my 3 key advice to other interns…

  1. Take Ownership: It’s true when they said “you get what you put into it”. When given a project, embrace it with all your heart and take ownership. This will impress others and will provide you with invaluable lessons. On the other hand, if you are not assigned a project, think of a project. During my first week here, I skimmed all the possibilities. Is there an event that no one is taking charge of? Can I start a blog with other interns to learn from their tasks and stay connected? Is there research lacking in a certain project? After a week of bouncing from idea to idea, I landed my summer project with the help of my manager: organizing the award ceremony’s silent auction. The best part of taking ownership? The feeling of accomplishment when tasks and goals are completed and especially when you see the final result.
  2. Compile Lists: You should never finish up the summer with no idea on what you did at your job/internship. Compile a list every day after work on what you did/will do. This will keep you in track and make you feel like you are on top of the world once your day is over. It will also help you with completing your resume in the future.
  3. Meet & Greet: Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Make friends with the other interns, whether or not they are in the same department as you. Start an e-mail chain or create a FaceBook/Twitter group (we did all of the above!). Next, start planning events/lunch dates with the other interns. You’ll learn so much from everyone else. Plus, you’ll be so much happier when you have a supportive group. Our MassChallenge family even hangs out after work and on the weekend (forget normal business hours)!

That’s pretty much it for now! I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. I’ll update next week for more details and photos on our MassChallenge Boot Camp!