You applied. You interviewed. You’re hired. Congratulations!
No matter what kind of job or internship you’ve secured, there are many opportunities to hone your skills and develop your interests during your time there. This is true even if your job is not directly related to your intended career path! In a Student Health 101 survey, 96 percent of respondents indicated that they could learn valuable workplace skills in any job or internship, no matter its focus.
Veronica talks about developing skills at any job. (MP4, 01:05)
Stephanie Ford, Director of Arts and Sciences Career Services at The Ohio State University in Columbus, says, “An internship outside your career field has value. You’ll have experiences that allow you to apply what you’re learning in the classroom and more generalized experiences that are going to be valuable, too.”
Abby H., a graduate student in Fine Arts at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, accepted an internship at a market research firm. She says, “I took the internship even though it wasn’t really related to my field of study because I wanted to gain [practical] skills that I wouldn’t [be] able to learn in the [studio].”
Laiman Ng, a Student Recruitment and Liaison Coordinator at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, encourages students to focus on transferable skills. “Think about all the skills that you can transfer into your career from an internship. [All kinds of] different skills help you [by] making you more marketable,” she says.
Early workplace experiences can help you build the skills potential employers are looking for.
New jobs and internships present opportunities to learn technical skills, industry jargon, day-to-day operations, business acumen, and professional etiquette. They can also allow you to develop talents you may not have realized you possess.
As Dean M., a student at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, says, “I’ve learned what I can do with my skill set and that I can do things that I didn’t know I could.”
Andrew explains how to learn skills anywhere. (MP4, 02:41)
Communication Skills
Establishing rapport with supervisors and coworkers is essential in any position.
“You have to be willing, in a nonaggressive and nonthreatening way, to have a conversation about what it is [that] you are expecting and what your supervisors are expecting,” says Trudy Steinfeld, Assistant Vice President and Executive Director at the Wasserman Center for Career Development at New York University in New York City. “Those conversations happen in a workplace all the time,” she advises.
Learning to have productive, professional dialogue can be good practice for developing relationships and working on collaborative projects in future positions. The ability to communicate effectively with supervisors, coworkers, and customers or clients will help you advance in any field. These skills are also essential when participating in extracurricular activities and group work in classes.
Leadership and Teamwork Skills
These days, employers not only look for candidates with content knowledge or technical expertise, but also leadership and teamwork skills. Take advantage of any opportunities to build these in your current job or internship.
For example, volunteer to lead a working group for a large project or even to organize a company party. These will show that you take initiative and allow you to practice things like:
Plus, these are powerful skills to include on your résumé.
If you find yourself feeling a bit bored, “step up to the plate,” says Lauren Berger, founder of Intern Queen, an internship Web site. Ask your supervisor if he or she needs any help, or if another worker could use your assistance.
Taking on special projects is also a way to show that you’re willing to go above and beyond what’s expected, a trait that’s often highly valued by employers. Speak with your supervisor if you’re interested in something that isn’t officially part of your job description but that you think you’d enjoy or learn from (or both).
Don’t stay cloistered behind a counter, in your cubicle, or with your lab equipment. Start or join conversations with your colleagues in the break room, at the copy machine, and through the halls, advises Berger, and network your heart out. “It’s not just a matter of collecting business cards and names, but actually developing relationships with these people,” she says.
You can ask to be introduced to senior leaders through informational interviews, review company materials, and sit in on meetings in different departments. “Talk to anyone who’s fairly senior and you’ll find out that they most likely didn’t get their job because they saw it advertised,” says Steinfeld. “They got the job because of [someone in a] network of contacts [who] made an introduction.”
Also consider attending conferences and Webinars, and reading trade publications; they’re often offered at discounted rates for students.
All work experiences give you a chance to learn about yourself. While in any position, think about what you like about the tasks and responsibilities, what you dislike, and what type of activities you find rewarding. This can help you chart your career course.
Lindsay H., a student at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, took an internship at a high school. “I gained hands-on experience that is crucial for understanding what it takes to succeed [in any field]. Theory from a textbook is great, but you really cannot get an understanding of the real world until you work in it,” she explains.
In addition to considering what you most enjoy and excel at, think about areas that you find challenging and where you can expand your knowledge or perspective.
“My internships took me from being a girl who only cared about her social life to someone who is constantly thinking about her future,” says Berger. “[They] just sparked something within me that no other experiences were able to do; they got me thinking about [my] future,” explains the entrepreneur, who completed 15 internships during her undergraduate career.
SHIV MANCHANDA is a graduate student at St. Clair College studying International Business.
