Be memorable, be remarkable
Being a memorable and remarkable intern requires some work on your part. People who are serious about their careers go above and beyond when it comes to showing their worth in the workplace.
Some simple ways that you can be memorable and remarkable during your internship include:
- Always be ready to start your day at your allocated start time (e.g. if you start at 9am, arrive at 8.50am and get prepared for the day)
- Staying 5-10 mintues later than you “have to” shows dedication
- Getting through your tasks without delay and requesting additional work shows engagement and enthusiasm
- Offering to help a fellow teammate on their project or tasks
- Requesting feedback from your supervisor
These tasks might seem easy, but they do make a big difference to your supervisor’s opinion of your performance.
You might still be thinking, “Okay, but what does going above and beyond really mean?”
It’s ultimately about doing things that may not be asked of your, but that you can see as a problem to be solved or a task to be completed.
A perfect example...
After joining the internship program with Outcome.Life, Argho was placed with a FinTech company that have designed a payroll service add-on for businesses that allow employees to access their earned wages before payday when they need. The product helps to provide staff with access to a financial wellness platform that improves employee well-being, reduces workplace stress and increases productivity.
As an intern, Argho was offered an internship in line with his studies in IT with a primary focus on Data Analysis. He received a Training Plan prior to starting his internship which included tasks, responsibilities and learning outcomes only related to data analytics.
In the second week of his internship, Argho overheard two of the company directors discussing a financial component called “Fringe Benefits Tax”. Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) is paid by an employer on certain benefits they provide to their employees, employee’s families or other associates. FBT applies even if the benefit is provided by a third party under an arrangement with the employer. Needless to say, this is something accountants usually deal with… and has nothing to do with IT or data analytics!
Argho made a very clear decision to go home and research this topic. He then proceeded to write a report on the impacts of FBT within the business and what options may be available for this particular FinTech business.
So what happened?
The next day, Argho sent an email with the report to his supervising director, explaining his research. Needless to say, the director was incredibly pleased.
From the director’s point of view, this intern, who had only been at the company for two weeks, was showing initiative a clear understanding of the business and a willingness to go above and beyond and even into a sector separate from his IT knowledge.
As you can imagine, this was very impressive and, by the third week of his internship, Argho had secured himself a full-time position with the company
Not every internship will allow you the chance to make a bold gesture like Argho but, in every workplace, you will find someone who is under-resourced or who may need a little extra support and would appreciate your help.
So give your internship the care and attention that it deserves and try to find ways that you can go the extra mile to show your supervisor and colleagues everything you can do!
If you have any questions...
The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.
You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:
Phone: 03 8899 7424
Email: hello@outcome.life
