For many students, the siren song of late starting classes and frat parties is beckoning them back to college, leaving their summer internships behind.
Not so fast.
A summer job is far too important to just exit without making certain that you are well remembered. "While you may think you are unforgettable, assume you're not," said Robert Graber, founder of WallStJobs.com. "You should use the next few weeks as part of a plan to make a lasting impression," he advised.
"In many firms, even the best interns can be quickly forgotten as the routine pressures of year-end business cycles tend to erase individual faces and accomplishments," Graber noted. "And yet, the summer work experience is perhaps the most powerful part of your resume when you are looking for that first job, so by all means take steps to avoid becoming an invisible intern."
Here are some things you can do now, before you return to school, that can help:
- Get email addresses. Make certain you have good contact information for all the people you worked with. This includes secretarial and administrative personnel you have had contact with. Make a separate folder for all these work contacts that you can retrieve easily moving forward. Be sure you have this information backed up.
- Give a bear. Or a tiger. Or whatever your school mascot is. It doesn't have to be a stuffed animal, but giving a key chain or golf balls with your school's logo on it as a small "thank you" gift with a well crafted note (no email here) is a real memory-maker. Order these items online at your school store and present it to everyone you worked with on your last day. The school insignia will help differentiate you from others. When in doubt, give the gift to avoid offending anyone. It does not have to be expensive to make an impression.
- Take pictures. When appropriate, bring a camera (don't use your cell phone as you want a high quality photo) and take pictures of your supervisor, associates and any other people you have had contact with. Have someone else take a picture so you are in it. After you return to school, send a photo noting how much you enjoyed the experience of working with the individual. If at all possible, mention how you have been able to apply what you learned over the summer at school. Attach the pictures to their email addresses so you keep the names and faces together. When you use email, do not use the too familiar argot of texting. Spell out everything and never use emoticons.
"Even if you are fairly certain that you do not want to make a career at the firm or even in the industry, don't short change yourself by skipping these steps," Graber cautioned. "The contacts you have made can provide valuable work references and they represent the beginning of your professional network. Be sure to maintain your visibility to them."
Article courtesy of WallStJobs.com, the premier recruiting source exclusively for financial service professionals, is a member of the Jobosaurus family of uniquely specialized recruiting sites.
