This time in life serves to remind us what is truly indispensable – family, health, faith and hope. Oddly, I often associate the word “indispensable” with the word “intern.” I once fell for what is perhaps the biggest myth told to interns: “Become indispensable to your organization; that is how you will get hired.” Time taught me this is far from the truth. Let’s debunk the myth….
Summer 2020 Internship Season
As seniors near virtual graduations and a challenging job market, fellow college students face another great uncertainty - How will I face recruiters when I graduate if I cannot complete an internship? The pandemic is proving, indeed, alternatives to internships exist. While I would never discourage the completion of multiple internships under normal health and business conditions, college students can take heart because recruiters will understand why a gap is present on their resumes. Classes of 2021-2023, you will not be alone in this gap. Completing the application and pre-employment process for the summer 2020 internship season was no small feat. In and of itself, this is a large learning and professional development milestone. Kudos! Now, where next?
What will make candidates stand out is how they articulate how they grew professionally outside of an internship. How did you transform and repurpose your summer? Be sure to capture this in your resume, cover letter and/or electronic portfolio (e.g. LinkedIn or personal website).
A series of resources have circulated within the higher ed and HR communities recently to assist college students as they embark on a summer very different from the one they pictured. Some students will complete internships, others will volunteer and others will become entrepreneurs. Some will care for family members, others take up a “survival job” and others explore a new talent or hobby. Finally, all should seek to unwind, refresh and enjoy a final summer of youth. Regardless of what path you may be on, make this a summer of personal growth. Enter the fall a stronger and wiser person. A few resources and ideas to support you on this journey include:
Check in with your college or university’s Career Development Office! They maintain close relationships with local employers and alumni who may still be sponsoring internships or shadowing opportunities. These offices may also sponsor mentorship and/or networking programs.
Consider a “mini” or “micro-internship,” which are shorter in duration and may start later in the season than a traditional internship. Some of these opportunities are as short as five hours, can be paid and may be remote. Check out Parker Dewey to learn more.
In the age of remote global teams, some entirely remote internships exist. Open your internship search to Covintern.com.
Consider paid and unpaid opportunities as well as freelance, project-based and contractual work.
Volunteer! Connect your time and energy to a larger purpose; enhance your relationship building, teamwork and leadership skills along the way.
Continue learning about your field/industry. Make it fun through LinkedIn Learning, following influencers you admire, reading famous biographies and/or watching TED Talks.
Strengthen your online presence. Beef up your LinkedIn profile and consider starting an online portfolio or personal website showcasing your best work. Start a blog.
Brush up on a foreign language. I have recently fallen in love with the Duolingo app and am relearning Classical Latin and Italian. These help me to focus and think in new ways – great skills in any profession.
Go out and make summer 2020 great! Invest in yourself, and give back to others! Get creative, and do not give up.
Becoming Indispensable
Like many, I equated a successful internship with a job offer. While this happens for some, it does not for all. I distinctly remember reading a number of internship preparation articles during my college days which encouraged that interns seek to become “indispensable.” Wow, how do I do that?! After a series of internships as well as coordinating various internship programs, I have learned that this well-intentioned advice is wildly misleading. Why?
In today’s business environment, not even the CEO is “indispensable.” Despite workplaces being filled with bold and unique “unicorn” talent, few positions in any organization are held by a single person for the entire life-cycle of the role. One unicorn succeeds another. Each puts his/her own stamp on the position and makes it his/her own; however, as customer needs persist and time travels on, so does the role. Change is inevitable. Embrace it.
If interns were truly indispensable for the exact role they were preforming, they could never be promoted. Early career talent would easily become bored and feel like the famed caged unicorn. Growth is key.
Time is often needed for unicorns to step into their own. This is natural. College students are a moldable tier of talent who also bring the latest technical and digital knowledge to companies. Finding one’s professional individuality and passion is needed before one can even gallop toward the long-term goal of becoming (slightly cringing) “indispensable.”
Despite strong performance during an internship, many interns do not receive a full-time position simply because a full-time role was not within scope and budget. Temporary positions are often that - temporary. Organizations should be very upfront with candidates about this during the recruitment process. Even if the potential to transition from an intern to a “headcount” employee exists at the start of an internship, one million variables can change the outcome at the end of the internship. Business needs constantly change; blame is not to be assigned. Closing an internship without a job offer is not necessarily a direct reflection of the intern’s performance. In lieu of a full-time position, some organizations may offer an internship extension, ad hoc project-work, contract assignment, etc. When the relationship is mutually beneficial, continue the partnership!
Instead of seeking to become “indispensable,” I would encourage that interns:
Set realistic goals. Set yourself up for success. Rather than seeking indispensability, ask yourself, What do I want to get out of this opportunity? How will I accomplish that? Set SMART goals.
Seek to be of value to the organization. Often organizations design internships to complete project-based work or delegate work during a vacation-heavy season. Many also offer internships to invest in the next generation of talent while simultaneously building a talent pipeline. The immediate return on investment of internships for organizations is low or perhaps breakeven when the cost of university relations, recruitment and the execution of a high-touch, competitive internship program are considered. Organizations play the long game; they invite fresh talent in for 8-12 weeks to get-to-know and groom future professionals. Be mindful of the true “game” at play. Strategically plot your moves. This opportunity is more than a few months sprinkled with company swag and happy hours that will round out your resume.
Learn as much as you can. As you apply what you have learned in the classroom, soak up everything around you like a sponge. You will see some best practices – both technical skills and leadership styles – as well as learn some “what not to do” lessons. Observe and reflect. Which behaviors do you wish to adopt? Which ones do you want to return to campus and study further? Which ones do you wish to avoid?
Is the role and organization what you imagined? Consider how well this role’s duties, your leader’s management style and the company’s culture align with the expectations you had going in, as well as your goals for your first fulltime position. Apply what you learn from this experience to your next internship or post-graduation job search. At your next interview, draw on what you learned and ask more refined and real-world questions to better understand how your expectations align with an opportunity prior to committing to a new position.
Network, network, network. Put your best foot forward and put yourself out there! Senior leaders love to invest in young talent. While you may feel timid shaking a CEO’s hand, if you get the chance, do it! Don’t regret being the wallflower. Be authentic. Share your story (yes, that interview elevator pitch has a dual purpose), what you are passionate about and what you are learning at the company with as many people as you can. Make connections with unicorns at all layers of the organization; you never know when you may need to lean on your network or when you can be of additional value to them (see tip 2). The broader and stronger your network, the more insulated you will be when challenging times arise.
To the Point
Instead of seeking to be “indispensable” or fearing the impact of not having an “indispensable” internship this summer, be yourself. Do your best. Roll up your sleeves. Get to work!
Interested in learning more?
Andrew, S. (2020). Summer internships have dried up because of the pandemic. Here's how to get ahead without one. CNN. https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/24/business/what-to-do-without-internship-summer-trnd/index.html
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