Internship? Don’t Get Run Over
Internships aren’t always perfect, and not all companies are ready to support an intern. So how do we cross this two-way street without getting run over?
Over the last four months, I joined Census as a software engineering intern. This experience has offered me a firsthand glimpse into the software industry, the opportunity to make an impact at different companies, and insights into what I value as a developer and employee. Let's explore some key takeaways from my journey, offering guidance for both prospective interns and companies looking to hire them.
Why should companies hire interns?
Having an intern can bring a lot of joy! Interns can bring fresh eyes and unique perspectives to your work. Like any new hire, they bring different ideas and experiences and can help provide bandwidth to work on additional projects or backlog items that you wish your team had capacity to work on. Plus you help a student pay off their very very very expensive university tuition. (Thank you Census for helping me afford my engineering degree!)
Although having an intern is great, interns also want to bring impact and support to the team. Make sure you have capacity and space to help mentor and onboard a new employee!
How can you make the biggest impact as an intern?
Be intentional about what you want to learn and what a company has to offer
Coming to Census, I had very candid conversations with both my hiring manager and my current manager (hi Dana) about what I was looking to get out of this internship. An internship can pass by really fast so it’s important to set realistic and specific goals about what you want to learn.
Enjoy feeling uncomfortable and acknowledge you have room to learn
I think I have always learned and grown the most when I take on things that I do not already know and are not in my comfort zone. It is perfectly okay to have preferences on what you enjoy but don’t let the fear of making mistakes or being confused stop you from learning what you want. Overtime, the challenges of ramping onto a new task, a new project, or even an entirely new company will get easier! The more you take on new things the faster you can find patterns and tools to help make these processes easier.
Challenge the norm, ask questions and make improvements
A huge part of being an intern at a new company is being able to bring in new perspectives. It is definitely scary being the new person on a team but I have always felt the most valuable and valued when I can take my current knowledge and fully apply that and participate in the conversation. To do that means it is important to ask for context and give context. The faster you can understand how the company and the codebase works, the faster you can take ownership and do good work! In the words of the Magic School Bus:
take chances, make mistakes, get messy.
Understand how you learn best and push yourself to take ownership and leadership in your work, the product you work on and beyond
The best and worst part of internships is their short timespan. If you absolutely hate a company, it is only couple months, but if you have an amazing time, it can be difficult to leave so early. At the end of the day, internships pass by so fast. Learning to understand how you work best and most productively will help you make the most impact early on. Ask for more things to do, be vocal about what you want to accomplish and push back when you need to.
Hope this helps. Internships are a bustling two-way street, offering opportunities for growth and impact. As interns, we must navigate this path with intention, stepping out of comfort zones and embracing challenges. Companies share the responsibility to guide and mentor, balancing the journey's rewards. Always remember, whether you're an intern or a company: look both ways, proceed with purpose, and dodge the risk of getting run over by missed opportunities or unmet expectations.
P.S. We’re hiring. Come say hi!
