We have made our final offers and set a start date for our summer interns. I am very excited for them to arrive as I think they add a sense of enthusiasm to our office. This got me thinking about our interns from last summer, and what you can learn from them to make your summer more successful. We had a particularly impressive class and here is what I thought was so impressive about them:
- They asked for work. This seems like a pretty simple thing to do, but I am always amazed at how many interns sit in their cubicles on Google chat. No one is going to hire you for your experience to chat online. Your summer internship is an opportunity to gain some very valuable experience. Find that attorney who is going on vacation or has a wedding (or looks exhausted), and ask to help out while they are gone or busy. Get your name in their brain; you may end up working on something that they wouldn’t typically assign to an intern.
- They went the extra mile with projects. They researched additional cases and brainstormed different ideas on how to approach the problem and delved into the issues before coming to ask for help. They practiced the Doctrine of Completed Staff Work.
- One of them asked for feedback on every project. Our system is set up to give you a mid-summer evaluation and an end of summer evaluation. However, asking what you could have done better while the project is still fresh in the reviewer’s mind can help you get feedback that may otherwise be forgotten. One of them sat down with my boss and went through one of her orders page by page asking for criticism. Now you have to find someone willing to do that, but even asking can make a big impression.
- They walked around the office and got to know people. I am not saying bother people but take 10-15 minutes out of your day and ask someone about their career path. All of these folks have been in your shoes and you may even find someone who will really want to help you. At the end when it’s time to make hiring decisions, having an advocate can make the difference.
- They went to networking events – not just ones related to our practice. Sign up for e-mail lists of organizations that interest you, get a group together, and go. They went to a lot of networking events in DC and met lots of other interns. Developing those relationships can go a long way. You never know who might help open doors for you later on in life, or who might just be a really fun friend to hang out with.
- They sent thank you notes and emails. Setting up a summer program with a fair balance of workload and fun activities is time consuming and our interns acknowledged that by sending thank you notes. It’s a little thing that makes a big difference and reminds you of that person when it’s time to meet about hiring. It’s also a great way to keep in touch and be on the brain in case an attorney has a friend who needs a new associate.
These are just some helpful hints, if you have more ideas leave them in the comment box below. I know they will be greatly appreciated by all of our readers.
