Making the most of your summer job
by Raelyn Johnson
So, you've landed a great summer job or dream internship. Great--now it's time to make the most of it. You know how hard it was to land that position, but it's even harder to parlay it into future opportunities if your only intention is getting a paycheck. "Initiative, motivation, reliability, communication, and enthusiasm are the skills [that will] take you to the next level," says Chrystal McArthur, associate director of career services at Rutgers University.
Charles I. Story, president and CEO of Inroads, a leading minority internship program (www.inroads.org), says it's important to excel at your summer job or internship because of the competitive nature of today's workforce. "Once you land a position, do a lot of research in your areas of interest. Make it a point to shadow different people to get a sense of what a typical day is like." Not only will this help develop your career path, you'll also network with employees who may give you a heads-up on future job openings.
Jacqueline Guy, 43, knows all about taking advantage of opportunities. She's all Inroads alumna who advanced from intern, to entry-level employee, to senior vice president at Bank of America. She owes her advancement to setting goals once she got in the door. While it's unusual to go from intern to CEO, Jacqueline says hard work and ambition are a winning combination. "Before you ask for what you want, you have to ask yourself, 'Am I doing what's being asked of me, and am I doing it well?' If you can say yes to those two questions, the sky is the limit."
Eldra Rodriguez Gillman, director of professional advancement and internships at CBS News, encourages you to develop a relationship with your unit advisor and internship director. If they're impressed by your work, they may send your resume to people within the company. "When a resume comes from an internship advisor, it makes a huge difference," Eldra says. Directors like Eldra have the inside scoop on departments that are hiring and can recommend interns for jobs. But, she warns, "Someone can open the door for you, but you have to walk through it on your own." The best way to do that, she says, is with a positive attitude.
Craig Dunham, 23, was no ordinary intern. He spent the summer of 2001 working at Salomon Smith Barney, and he returned to Hampton University with a new resume, business card contacts, and a $10,000 scholarship from the Wall Street firm. Last year, upon graduation, he was hired as an investment-banking analyst with the company. Follow his tips to bank on a solid future:
- Be professional. Always dress the part, from the career fair to the first day at the office. And be punctual--never late.
- Stand out. Companies have a set number of interns they can hire; let them know you want future employment by showing initiative.
- Get evaluated. To help determine your strengths and weaknesses, ask your employer how you're doing. And ask what you can do to improve.
- Have an open mind. Employers don't expect you to know everything, but they do assume you are willing to learn.
