What Kind of Intern Are You?

After years of being a career coach, I’ve recently transitioned back into Corporate HR as Director of Talent Management for one of the world’s most well-known brands. Who I work for doesn’t matter. What I see and hear does.
This time of year we have a few interns floating around the office. They’re working in various capacities–PR, marketing, finance–you name it. But my colleagues, my peers, are more grateful to have interns than I have ever seen at any other company. I haven’t seen anything like it. Usually corporate clowns like me like interns, but are often too busy to really give out the real work. Unless they k
Here’s the thing, being an intern isn’t glamourous. You may be pouring coffee, fetching files or typing endless documents. But the reason my colleagues love their interns is that the interns take those tasks and put effort and a smile into them. It makes the managers less busy, they appreciate the positivity and they can build a relationship with the intern. They trust him or her.
Then, they give out the real assignments. The ones that you can use in job interviews as examples of stretch roles. The ones that will help you decide whether this job, thiis field, this profession is for you. You’ve got an entire summer ahead of you, and a choice in how you approach each day at your internship. Choose wisely!
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Susan Strayer, SPHR
Author, The Right Job, Right Now
www.susanstrayer.com
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