10 Questions to Ask Your Summer Internship Employer to Get the Most Out of Your Experience
With summer coming around the corner, internship season means that students from high school to those in university are trying to accumulate experience to build a CV for their dream career. Whether you have an offer secured, or you’re thinking whether that internship is worth your time — here are some questions you can keep in the back of your mind to see how you can make the most of your internship experience.
Could you please explain this to me?
While one may think that an internship is an opportunity to stand out so that your future employer may remember you, it is also important to remember that you are there to absorb and learn. With the mindset to impress, it is also important to remember that as a newbie you won’t know everything. There are no stupid questions, and people appreciate you asking silly questions earlier on to prevent larger errors later on. It also shows that you have an open mind and are not afraid to try new things.
How else can I help?
Employers appreciate the initiative. You can do things by the book, pristine with no errors — but this may just be the bare minimum. While you may not have the technical expertise or experience, going out of your way to show that you are eager to learn shows employers that you are inquisitive, and willing to put in the hard work to try something you’ve never heard of. Having said this though, it is completely normal to acknowledge that a task is completely out of your abilities.
Over the course of this internship, what areas do you think I can improve in?
One of the most valuable lessons you can take away from an internship apart from industry experience is a little more about yourself. The most valuable lessons are often in areas that you overlook yourself. Asking for an opinion on your performance not only allows you to brush up on your soft or hard skills to get you a spot in future companies, but it also shows that you strive for progress.
Where should I look to learn more about your field?
Asking your mentor or colleagues for their source of information might be daunting, but will save you a lot of time on where to start looking. However easy it is to feel intimidated by people by their years of experience, you should shift your perception of your mentors as part of your newly formed network and a source of knowledge. They might point you to websites, books, or podcasts they frequently refer to. Willing to learn beyond the office environment could broaden your horizons on current affairs, news about your area of work. This allows you to see how your internship ties into context, which is key to recognize your job’s purpose.
What is a day like for a new joiner in a permanent role?
While you’ve probably already done your homework before applying to your current internship, it doesn’t show active interest and you’re sustained engagement with staying within the company. This shows your employers that you’re not simply at the company as a box-ticking exercise and are keen to see yourself in their company in the long run.
Are there opportunities to meet other people across teams?
Depending on the size of the company, teamwork and synergies vary. Regardless of whether you’re joining a team of 3 or a corporation of hundreds — connecting with people from diverse backgrounds can foster key connections that can inspire you for your next steps. Branching out to other parts of the company may show you something you never thought would suit you.
What do you like most about your company culture?
An internship will give you a glimpse of what it is like to work in an organization, and it is sometimes hard to picture what it would be like in the long term. While it is important to make sure that you are a good fit for the company, it’s equally important that the company is a good fit for you — and asking a mentor about the essence of their company culture can give you valuable insights into the chemistry between colleagues, work environment and more that you can see on paper.
What led you to where you are today?
Aside from industry, company, career-specific questions — sometimes you can get words of wisdom from asking about your mentors’ personal experiences. Learning about their path and journey shouldn’t just be a template for you to follow, but should allow you to explore whether their potential experiences align with your motivations.
What is your favorite part of your job? What are some of the most interesting or fulfilling projects you’ve worked on?
Seeing abstract ideas of what the jobs might be like in concrete examples can be useful for you to picture and reassess your expectations of the job. Learning about your mentor’s involvement can also allow your mentor to demonstrate their passions — and also give you an opportunity to see whether you want to be in their shoes in the future.
What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
At an internship, your time could be glorified by the positive experiences of the company. Learning about a realistic day-to-day routine and potential challenges that the job could entail will give you a picture of what kind of challenges you would be up for, whether you’d be comfortable outside of that comfort zone.
Stepping into a new environment can be a refreshing experience if you ask the right questions. An internship is a valuable opportunity to learn something new about that career that you’ve always heard about, you’ll have one foot in the door for whatever next steps you decide to take — so what are you waiting for?
