Surprise...I'm going to write about Internships!

Lately I've been thinking about that pesky "I" word again. Summer is coming, and people are talking about the awesome internship they are getting psyched for. Well, for me, this summer will be about finishing my foreign language credit, working a lot for some money, and of course...relaxing. I'm taking, what I like to call, an internship vacation.

Internships are draining; they are awesome experiences, but they can tire you out with a full-time job on top of it, but as I spoke to some of my friends they were unsure how they even got their internships. Most used their parent's friends, professor's friends, or a website. Although these are all great ways to get an internship they are plenty of other ways to find an opportunity that could rock your socks off!

But before you can get these other internships you have to have proper after-internship etiquette. After you get through however many hours of free (or the rare paid) internship you must do the right thing to make sure your supervisor will remember you. If they remember you, they are more likely to help you in the future.

So - after your internship, what do you do? Many students come into Career Services to ask questions about proper networking, and this is a major concern. Networking in one of it's best forms is using your former internship coordinator. For example, when I interned over the summer for the Promotions/Marketing Coordinator of the Business Improvement District she took me out to lunch the last day of my internship. In return, I sent her a thank you card and beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was a gesture of appreciation, and a way to say, "I hope you keep me in mind if you hear of any opportunities." In fact, three weeks later I received an email from Nicole saying that her friend in Rochester at an event planning business had an internship available and would I be interested.

If you are in the teacher certification program you should always give your teacher a thank you card, and if you really enjoyed the experience something small for the classroom or their personal use. Physical education majors could give them a new whistle, or a small gift card to Wegmans, Starbucks or anywhere else. If you are observing in a kindergarten class you could give the teacher a Webkinz for the class to play with. Think about all the time you spend with these people - you are bound to know something about their likes, dislikes and interests. Use it to your advantage. The same applies for any teacher certification candidate. You spend hours with these teachers learning their job and helping to teach their class - don't you think you should give them something in return?

You should always, always keep in touch with your internship coordinator and supervisor. I still drop regular emails to my internship supervisor from my freshman year. We have dinner or lunch once a year, and regularly keep in touch every few months through an email. If you build a relationship with these people good things will happen to you. Your internship supervisors know a lot of people in your given field, and they may know when and what jobs are going to open before it's released publicly. When you are on a search for your next internship, get in touch with them. Chances are good that they will know someone or can get you in touch with the right people. Network, network, and network more. It is one of the best ways to find your dream job.

If you ever feel guilty about doing this, which I know could happen, think about it this way - they used your free labor for so many things you deserve something back. This is their way of showing appreciation! Most people are more than happy to help their students find internships!

I hope you find this information helpful! Internship etiquette is very important, and all students should learn to use this to their advantage!