名校大学生的五大实习秘诀

Julia+Carpenter

For many college students， landing1） a coveted internship is a feat. But making the most of the internship is the real accomplishment.

Lets be real. Free food galore2）， tantalizing perks3） and pay were definitely touted， but many students say these benefits are not the keys to a great internship.

So whats the secret？ We got the skinny4） from interns who say its all in what you make of it. Here are five must-dos for a dynamite5） internship：

Dont get caught up in money

Caitlin Beck， a rising senior at Fordham University， interned with MTV News—for no pay—this past spring. Shes working now as a restaurant hostess to save money for the school year. She says writing for the MTV News RapFix blog and coordinating guest segments in the “TRL6）” studio outweighed the pay issue. “It never really made me mad because I loved it，” she says. “When youre working somewhere like that， it validates you， so you almost cant get mad at them.” Beck received some financial assistance， including reimbursement7） for transportation， from Fordham to make her internship possible.

When students are interning with start-ups or small companies， sometimes the employer just cant afford to pay extra hands8）.

Hilda Adenjii， now a campus coordinator at Pace University， interned with event planning group DBD Social last summer. She was unpaid， but her employer covered all project expenses. When DBD Social merged with another company in the fall， they had the money to pay—and they hired Adenjii back as a paid intern.

“Internships have become the new entry level，” says Lou Gaglini， associate director for employer relations and recruiting at Boston College Career Center. “Employers like to know you can hit the ground running9）.”

Embrace program structure

No student relishes the stereotypical picture of “intern busy work”： sorting files， entering data—feel free to insert your most dreaded office task here.

In a structured internship program， theres considerably less room for busy work or （even worse） dead time10）. Interns schedules are instead packed with meetings， events or seminars.

Ayah Abo-Basha， a rising junior at Washington University in St. Louis， is interning this summer with Ashoka11）， a social entrepreneur think tank in Arlington， Virginia. “I would say theres just enough structure，” she says， specifically mentioning how weekly intern meetings can be educational seminars one week and informal socials12） the next.

Graduate student Max Huleurt is the only intern in the production department of CBSs “GameSpot13），” so he says he appreciates participating in activities with other CBS interns， such as the lunchtime “Intern Olympics.” After socializing and enjoying the free event， he returns to his department， where he collaborates with salaried team members “just like at a real job，” he says.

Find your role and claim ownership of your projects

The word “ownership” pops up again and again when students describe internship successes.

Tom Pae says this is what separates good internships from great internships. As a LinkedIn14） global sales operations intern， the majority of his time is spent collaborating with other interns on “meaty15）” projects and discussing his work with top leadership at the company.

Alex Forss is at eBay for his second summer because he says he feels encouraged to pitch ideas and network with upper management. Hes also seen his ideas successfully implemented later—and he gets credit， too. “It is a high-paying internship， but the responsibility is the most rewarding part of it，” he says. “I just led a conference call with a couple VPs on the phone. They let me do that.”

But its not just tech companies that value collaboration with interns. At CBS Interactive16）， Huleurt says he has unlocked the secret to internship happiness： knowing your work has value.

Shara Senderoff founded the website Intern Sushi to match students with good internship experiences. She says identifying your role is critical when later discussing an internship experience in job interviews or within a cover letter. “If you cant say why your company is doing what its doing， you dont know anything about the culture or the company，” she says. “You need to know the bigger picture of where your work fits in.”

Bond with your supervisor

At Ashoka， Abo-Basha says she doesnt have an “intern supervisor”—she has an “accountability partner，” a full-time employee also in her field. “Youre a partner， not just a lowly intern，” she says. Abo-Basha regularly meets with her accountability partner to give project updates， ask for advice on problems or learn about other opportunities within the company.

But the best supervisors dont just lead—they also inspire. When interning for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson17）， D-Texas， in 2010， Anam Iqbal took particular notice of the congresswomans condolence card routine. Johnson sent personalized cards to the families and friends of recently passed Texans in her district. “Working in the office made me realize mailing some things puts a smile on peoples faces， whether you realize it or not，” Iqbal says.

Iqbal is now pursuing a masters degree in public administration—a decision she says was inspired by her experience working with the congresswoman. “Seeing her really care for her constituents made me think， ‘I want to be like that. I want to be her，” she says.

Leave with talking points18） for your next job interview

A stacked resume isnt only good for netting internships； it should ideally highlight those experiences to lure full-time employers.

Adenjii did exactly that after DBD Social. She parlayed19） her experience planning parties and coordinating events into a career as a campus coordinator at her alma mater20）， Pace University. There， she draws from her internship experience on a daily basis. “My internship was a major thing I was asked about on job interviews，” she says. Adjenjii says she frequently referenced her hands-on21） experience， while Iqbal says her internship was “a conversation starter” on her resume.

Lauren Berger of InternQueen.com recommends keeping a list of tasks completed. “It not only makes you feel accomplished， it helps you build your resume，” she says. “And on that list， I would pinpoint about two to three things youve learned personally as well as professionally.”

Senderoff says above all else， students should remember internships are temporary—they provide a chance to experiment with different responsibilities and work environments. “A great internship is an exploration of what you dont want to do，” she says. And once you know what you want to do， use the internship experience to jumpstart22） your next career move.

对于很多大学生来说，得到一个令人垂涎的实习机会很了不起，但充分利用好实习机会才是真正的成功。

实话实说吧，丰盛的免费食品、诱人的薪酬和福利肯定都是吸引学生的卖点，但许多学生表示，这些好处都不是一份成功的实习工作的关键。

那成功的实习有什么秘诀呢？一些实习生道出了秘密，他们说秘诀完全在于你如何利用实习机会。以下是做好实习的五大必杀技。

工资待遇，切莫计较

凯特琳·贝克是福坦莫大学一名即将进入大四的学生，今年（编注：原文发表于2013年7月）春天在MTV新闻频道实习——没有报酬。她现在在一家餐厅当服务员攒下一学年的学费。贝克说，为MTV新闻频道的RapFix博客写文章，以及在“互动全方位”工作室来宾部的协调工作比报酬本身更重要。“这份工作从来没有让我真正生气过，因为我热爱它，”她说，“在那样的地方工作，你能得到认可，所以你几乎不会因为没有报酬而生气。”为了使实习得以进行，贝克从福坦莫大学得到了一些资助，包括报销交通费。

如果学生们在新兴公司或小公司实习，有时用人单位根本就没钱给他们这些临时雇员发薪水。

希尔达·阿登杰伊现在是佩斯大学的校园活动协调员。去年夏天，她在DBD社交公司的活动策划团队实习。她没有工资，但用人单位承担了所有的项目费用。当DBD社交公司在秋天与另一家公司合并后，公司有钱发薪水了——于是就雇用了阿登杰伊回去带薪实习。

“实习经历已成为新的入职门槛，”波士顿学院就业指导中心主管雇主关系和招聘的副主任娄·盖格利尼说，“用人单位希望你一上班就能一举成功。”

实习项目，倾力参与

没有学生喜欢“繁忙的实习生工作”的典型场景：整理文件、输入数据——你最害怕的办公室工作都可以加进去。

在安排周密的实习项目中，忙乱的工作或是（更糟糕的）窝工时间会大大减少。相反，实习生的日程排满了会议、活动或研讨会。

阿雅·阿波-芭莎是华盛顿大学圣路易斯分校一名即将上大三的学生，今年夏天在爱创家实习。爱创家是弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿的一家社会企业家智库。“我想说那儿的实习计划很周详。”她说，并特别提到实习生的每周例会如何开展：这一周是教育研讨会，下一周可能就是非正式的联谊会。

研究生马克斯·赫勒特是哥伦比亚广播公司Gamespot生产部的唯一一名实习生，因此他说他很乐意和CBS的其他实习生一起参加活动，比如午餐时间的“实习生奥运”活动。在与他人交流并享受了这一免费活动后，他回到自己的部门，与领薪水的团队成员们一起合作，“就像正常上班一样”，他说。

找准定位，勇担重任

学生们描述实习成就时会反复提到“责任”一词。

汤姆·佩依说，实习是“不错”还是“优秀”就取决于此。作为领英全球销售业务的实习生，他的大部分时间都花在与其他实习生合作探讨内容丰富的项目上，并与公司的最高领导层讨论自己的工作。

亚历克斯·弗斯是第二次在电子港湾公司参加暑期实习，因为他说他觉得那里鼓励他提出新想法，鼓励他同高层管理人员建立人脉。之后，他也看到了自己的想法得以成功实施，他个人也因此得到认可。“这是一个高薪实习岗位，但责任是最有意义的地方，”他说，“我刚刚主持了与几位副总的电话会议，公司愿意让我这么做。”

不过，不只是高科技企业重视与实习生的合作。在哥伦比亚广播公司旗下的互动媒体公司，赫勒特说他已经挖掘到了快乐实习的奥秘：明白你的工作有价值。

莎拉·森德洛芙创办了“实习寿司”网站，给学生们提供好的实习机会。她说，以后在面试或求职信中谈及实习经历时，明确自身角色定位至关重要。“如果你说不出公司为什么从事现在的业务，那你根本就不了解公司文化或整个公司的情况，”她说，“你需要对自己在工作中的角色有更宏观的认识。”

实习导师，多多沟通

在爱创家，阿波-芭莎说她没有“实习导师”，只有“责任伙伴”——一个和她同领域的全职雇员。“你是工作伙伴，而不仅仅是卑微的实习生。”她说。阿波-芭莎定期与她的责任伙伴会面，以汇报项目进展、请教有关问题的建议，或了解该公司内部的其他机会。

但最好的导师不仅会引导——还会启发。2010年，阿难·伊克巴尔在给得克萨斯州众议员埃迪·伯尼斯·约翰逊做实习生时，特别留意了这位女议员写慰问卡的例行做法。如果约翰逊的选区内新近有得州人去世，她会给逝者的亲友寄去个性化的慰问卡。“在众议员办公室工作让我意识到，邮件能让人开心，无论你有没有意识到。”伊克巴尔说。

伊克巴尔正在攻读公共管理的硕士学位——她说自己与女议员一起工作的经历激励她做了这个决定。“看到她真正关心自己选民的样子让我觉得，‘我想成为那样的人，我想成为她。”她说。

厚厚的一沓简历不仅有利于获得实习机会，还应该完美地突出实习经历，以吸引全职工作的雇主。

在DBD社交公司实习之后，阿登杰伊就那样做了。她成功地利用策划派对和协调活动的经验，在母校佩斯大学谋到了校园活动协调员的职位。在那里，她每天都用得上实习的经验。“我参加面试时被问到最多的就是实习经历。”她说。阿登杰伊说她经常提到亲身实践的经历，伊克巴尔则说在她的简历中，实习经历是一个“打开话匣的话题”。

“实习女皇网”的劳伦·贝格建议列表记录自己完成的任务。“这不仅会让你有成就感，还能让你的简历更好看，”她说，“而从这张单子上，我可以准确找出你在个人生活和职业生涯方面学会的两三件事。”

森德洛芙说，最重要的一点是学生应该记住实习是暂时的——它们提供的是一个体验不同职责和工作环境的机会。“一份成功的实习能帮你发现自己不想做的事。”她说。一旦你知道自己想做什么，就可以用实习经历来启动下一段职业生涯。