Using an internship to your advantage

January marks the beginning of the second school semester, and if you are in your last year, you are probably beginning to think about life after graduation.  If you don’t already have one, or aren’t required to take one as part of your courses, you should consider taking an internship.  This is a great way to get that real work experience and could even lead to a job when you are done school. Careerbuilder.ca has come up with a list of 5 ways to turn that internship into a career when you graduate in the spring.

1. Treat your internship like and extended job interview. Your every move is being scrutinized, so remember to work like you are being watched.  Be sure to be on time, don’t leave early, meet deadlines and exceed expectations.
2. Seek out challenges. If you are getting your work done on time (or early), ask for more work or seek out other opportunities within the organization.  However, DO NOT take on more than you can complete.  While you may look good to your employer by taking extra work, being late or not finishing tasks will look really bad and pretty much guarantees that you won’t be hired on when you are done school.
3. Ask GOOD questions. If ever you are unsure about something, ask for clarification.  It will look much worse if you complete something incorrectly than if you ask for for help.  Just be sure you are not asking the same questions over and over, or are asking questions that you should know the answers to, as this shows that you  weren’t paying attention when the instructions were being given.
4. RESPECT! Show respect to everyone you come into contact with;  coworkers, clients, etc.
5. Leave a positive impression. Be enthusiastic, show pride in your work, avoid complaining, don’t gossip, refrain from personal business on company time, and overall work hard.  Even if you don’t like the company or job, the experience looks great on a resume, which should ultimately lead to your first real job out of school!