--- title: College Career: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Summer Internship description: Be proactive in your work and relationships canonical: https://time.com/3904794/summer-internship-tips/ author: Every Vowel article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-08T14:07:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:03.655Z article:section: Ideas og:title: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Summer Internship og:description: Be proactive in your work and relationships og:url: https://time.com/3904794/summer-internship-tips/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Summer Internship twitter:description: Be proactive in your work and relationships twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 10 Ways to Maximize Your Summer Internship > Sponsored content. 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The Intern - Official Trailer_ by [Jon Youshaei / Every Vowel](https://time.com/author/every-vowel/) ## Jon Youshaei / Every Vowel Jun 8, 2015 2:07 PM UTC by [Jon Youshaei / Every Vowel](https://time.com/author/every-vowel/) ## Jon Youshaei / Every Vowel Jun 8, 2015 2:07 PM UTC As a former Google intern, I want to pay forward all the help I got in landing my full-time offer. So I asked the [Every Vowel](http://everyvowel.com) community along with managers and top interns from Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon to see what advice they had. Whether you’re working at a financial firm, fashion company, or fast-paced startup, these 10 tips can help you land an offer and have an awesome summer. **1\. Send weekly recap emails to your manager** — Every Friday, I emailed my manager and included bullets under the following categories: _Things I did for Project A, Things I did for Project B, Things I learned, People I met_, and _Random_. To be mindful of his inbox, I made sure to ask if he wanted me to continue after I sent my first recap email. Not only did he like the concept, but he later told me that this was vital when it came time to writing my evaluation because he had concrete material to draw from. Not to mention, it was a great way to stay organized and track my progress over the summer. **2\. Send biweekly “industry digest” email to your team** — Become a curator. Full-time employees are always trying to learn more about their industry but don’t always have the time. That’s where you can help. Check out trade magazines — if you’re a marketing intern, read [AdAge](http://adage.com/) and [Adweek](http://www.adweek.com/). Public relations interns, see [PRWeek](http://www.prweek.com/us). And so forth. Read up, curate the best articles, and summarize them in an email. But be careful: there’s a difference between being _knowledgeable_ and a _know-it-all_. Ask your manager before sending this digest email as it could cause colleagues to perceive you as overeager. If you get the green light, perhaps open your first email with: “Hey guys, I was speaking with \[Manager Name\] and we thought it could be a good idea to send a biweekly digest of all that’s happening in our industry so it’s easier to keep up…” so they have a bit more context and you’re not coming off too strong. **3\. Schedule weekly meetings with your manager and routinely ask for feedback** — If your manager doesn’t immediately schedule weekly check-ins, ask to set them up as soon as possible. Kellen Donohue, former intern at Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, emphasizes the importance of using these meetings to ask for feedback “even if your manager doesn’t volunteer it.” He says, “You don’t want to be surprised at your midterm or final evaluation with feedback you could have used earlier.” To get great feedback, be open and honest with your manager. Don’t be afraid to signal when you’re stuck and [ask clarifying questions instead of nodding along.](http://www.fastcompany.com/3003945/one-conversational-tool-will-make-you-better-absolutely-everything) **4\. Ask senior executives if they would be open to doing a “roundtable chat” or “lunch and learn”** — If you cross paths with an inspiring senior level manager, don’t hesitate to ask for their email and follow up. I’ve found that this particularly works well if you suggest inviting four to five other interns and making it a discussion as opposed to a one-on-one meeting. That way, you’re spreading the love and the executive may feel like it’s a better use of their time to speak with more people at once. But be warned – the meeting may not last long and it could easily take over a month to actually happen, if at all. Nonetheless, by taking this approach, my intern friends and I had dinner with Danielle Tiedt (CMO of YouTube), lunch with Stacy Brown-Philpot (Former Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Google Ventures, current COO of TaskRabbit), and an [unforgettable meeting with Salar Kamangar](http://www.everyvowel.com/2012/11/12/google/) (former CEO of YouTube). **5\. Master Gmail shortcuts** — While many people focus on learning Excel shortcuts (makes sense for investment bankers), the real time saver comes when you can navigate your inbox with just a few strokes of your keyboard. If you’re in Gmail, click the gear icon in the upper right, select settings, and scroll to “keyboard shortcuts” to turn them on. Print out this [cheat sheet](http://r.evhead.com/hodgepodge/gmail-shortcuts.html) and download a chrome extension called [KeyRocket](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/keyrocket-for-gmail/dmocchgkijnbjdjkmlglaemjhhdiobbp?hl=en) to learn quickly. Other email clients (such as [Outlook](http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/outlook-help/keyboard-shortcuts-for-microsoft-outlook-2013-HA102606407.aspx)) have shortcuts, too. **6\. Become a morning person** — As a former career advisor, Erin Rovner read over 1,000 intern evaluations and found that “the most common negative feedback came from being late, even if it was just by a few minutes.” Arriving to the office on time (or even before your manager) does wonders for establishing your reputation as someone who is always ready to go. For college students, however, this is much easier said than done. If you’re a night owl, I highly recommend reading about how Jason Freedman, CEO of [42Floors](http://42floors.com/), [systematically ended his terrible habit of insomnia](http://humbledmba.com/become-a-morning-person-how-to-end-insomnia-f). **7\. Pitch new project ideas** — Doing well at what you’re told is expected; doing well at what you create makes you exceptional. Once you’re comfortable with your current responsibilities, tackle something new. Are there small projects sitting on your colleagues’ to-do lists? Can you help create an internal database of some sort? Would it be helpful to provide an analysis of the competitive landscape? Ask around and keep your ears open for new ways to contribute. Of course, don’t just run off and start working on whatever you feel; bring a list of ideas to your manager and go from there. **8\. Meet with non-team members** — Sit down with people from different departments and get a more holistic view of the company. Ask about their role, how they got there, and what they would improve about the company if they had the opportunity. Here’s a [list of really illuminating questions](http://www.quora.com/Interpersonal-Interaction/What-is-the-single-most-illuminating-question-I-can-ask-someone) that could also spark interesting conversations. Along the same lines, seek out alumni from your school and hear their perspective. **9\. Go out with interns and colleagues** — Elynn Lee, former intern at Google, Amazon and Facebook, says it best: “If you’re excited about the place you’re living in, you’ll be motivated to do well to earn a return offer. If you have fun in and out of work with coworkers and other interns, it’ll also be more clear that you’re a great fit for the company.” Exploring your surroundings doesn’t mean limiting yourself to restaurants, bars, and coffee shops either. For instance, my intern class rented a house in Lake Tahoe during the Fourth of July weekend and we did everything from hiking to kayaking to barbecuing. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences of the summer. **10\. Ask to do a recap presentation before leaving** — This is a perfect way to leave a strong last impression and thank all the people who helped you throughout the internship. Invite anybody who had an impact on your summer experience — and be sure to ask a few weeks in advance. In the presentation, emphasize all the work you did for your projects and lessons you learned — look back at your weekly recap emails for reference! Have fun with it, keep it brief, and allow time for questions. Whatever you do, stay focused. Meeting interesting people, exploring your surroundings, and finding new opportunities is great, but never lose sight of your project goals and timelines. Find ways to have an incredible internship experience while advancing the company mission and thinking about the bigger picture. **Want more? Join 400,000 readers by subscribing to** [**Every Vowel**](http://www.everyvowel.com/)**, the home for unconventional career ideas, stories & advice.** _This_ [_article_](http://www.everyvowel.com/2015/06/08/10-internship-tips/) _originally appeared on_ [_Every Vowel_](http://www.everyvowel.com/)_._ _More from Every Vowel:_ * [Top Mistakes Really Smart People Make Without Realizing](http://www.everyvowel.com/2015/03/31/mistakes/) * [Can These Common Office Habits Slowly Kill You?](http://www.everyvowel.com/2015/03/15/office-habits/) * [Is This Really How Women Become CEOs?](http://www.everyvowel.com/2015/03/08/women-ceos/) ## Transcript Okay, Benjamin, I'm gonna ask you one of our more telling questions for all of our interns, so I want you to like, this is the one to really think about, okay? Where do you see yourself in ten years? When I'm 80? [ MUSIC ] Remember a few weeks ago, we talked about the senior intern program? Seniors in high school or college? No, no, no, no, no. Seniors in life. Hold on, what? That's our founder and CEO, Jules Austin. Any tips before I go in? Blink. She hates when people don't blink, it weirds her out. Hi Jules, I'm Ben, your new intern. I'm glad you also see the humor in this. Be hard not to. I will email you when I have something for you to do. I'll wait to here from you soon. I'm terribly sorry. Excuse me. [ MUSIC ] So you're Jewel's new driver? No, actually I'm her intern. That's hysterical. [ MUSIC ] Manager keeps busy. Mr. Congeniality, everybody loves him. You should dress to impress. Tuck in the shirt. Why doesn't anybody tuck anything in anymore? No I'm asking you. I'm Fiona, the house masseuse. Happening. How's that Ben? What's happening? Oh boy. Here you go. [ LAUGH ] You're not as old as I thought you were. Woo. Warner Bros. Pictures presents. [ MUSIC ] So, you're on Facebook, huh? I joined about ten minutes ago. [ LAUGH ] Well, better late than never. Alright, so there are all these questions for your profile that you can answer if you want to, like people who inspire. For you. Jules Ostin. You do inspire Jules. Our investors just think that a seasoned CEO could take some things off your plate. Let me get me CEO lessons. I never had anything like this in my life, this big, beautiful, exciting that you created. Remember who did that. Who? [ MUSIC ] Good times. It's moments like this when you need someone you know you can count on. Because you're my- intern Well, I was going to say intern slash best friend. [ MUSIC ] Look and learn boys, because this is what cool is. How in one generation have men gone from guys like Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford, to. Oh boy. 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