Four tips on getting the most out of your internship
9 March 2022
Each year in Australia over 340,000 students graduate and look to commence their professional career. With 50% of the Australian population in 2021 holding a bachelor’s degree, in comparison to only 7.9% in 1989 (Statista, 2021), the job sphere for graduates has become increasingly competitive.
A university degree provides a strong foundation for job opportunities; however, it does not guarantee employment.
In addition to completing a higher education qualification, students must seek extra professional development opportunities and make critical industry connections to be noticed in the current employment market.
While studying for a qualification, taking part in an internship or work experience can be a helpful way to build relevant experience, applying skills learnt at university and increasing employability.
Here are four things to consider to get the most value out of your internship.
1. Set goals before commencing an internship
Before embarking on your internship journey, consider what you want to gain from the from the experience and what you wish to achieve.
Throughout the duration of the internship reflect on those goals and note how they are being addressed. Reflection will present a clear journey of where you started, and the achievements made when you finish.
2. Always ask questions
The term no such thing as a silly question, really shines true in an internship.
An integral part to attaining the most from an internship, is understanding how the knowledge gained at university can be applied in a real-life setting. Questions are expected from students.
Questions can enable you to acquire knowledge, eliminate confusion, guide conversation, show interest, solve problems, indicate understanding, and so much more.
No matter if you are fresh out of university or have been in the industry for 20 years, a good consultant is always learning and asking questions.
3. Be open-minded to learning new skills
Treat your internship as an opportunity to test, trial and learn new skills, projects, tasks and interests.
An internship allows for exploration into unknowns, new possibilities, and areas you might otherwise have shied away from.
Expanding knowledge and capabilities will become extremely valuable when choosing and applying for future career opportunities.
4. Stay connected after the internship
Industry connections are one of the most valuable internship program outcomes.
Completion of an internship should not be a goodbye to the organisation, but rather, the foundation for building strong industry connections.
Relationships allow for future opportunities including collaborations, exchange of ideas and knowledge sharing.
Remain in contact by connecting with the organisation on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, and with relevant people on LinkedIn, to grow your network, share in the conversation, and remain visible.
Consider an internship with Phillips Group
At Phillips Group, we partner with students to bring their interests, skills and curiosities to life through a tailored work experience program.
We focus on mentoring, fostering industry connections and introducing students to the people, the work and the necessary skills to be successful in the communications industry.
Apply now!
If you are a high-performing student that wants to learn from the best – we want to hear from you. Visit our Internship Program page to find out more.