How To Tackle Projects In Your Internship

By Kylie Exline on April 22, 2016

This article is brought to you by Dream Careers, the largest global internship program for college students offering all-inclusive programs in 11 cities worldwide. To learn more about Dream Careers, please visit us at SummerInternships.com.

Many students are required to complete an internship at some point over their four years at university (not judging you if it is five).

Some may really enjoy where they intern, while others are counting down the days until it is over for good. I feel you.

Regardless of your satisfaction with the internship, there will consistently be both small and large projects to effectively manage. For how to deal with them, continue reading below.

Understand

When given a project, make sure to listen the entire time they are relaying to you what you have to specifically do. Otherwise, you will miss one piece of information, become lost, and hand in something that was never desired in the first place. And that is never a good thing.

Do not be afraid to ask questions. Questions are a very good thing. It shows you actually care about completing the task correctly, and that you are not afraid to come up with better ideas should you have any — which you will, just give it time.

Whether this is a large project or a smaller one, understanding, as well as communication, is key. If you go into it confused, do not expect to come out of it any better. Understand what is expected of you, ask any questions, and do not hesitate to ask them for more information throughout the process. You got this.

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Organize

This is everything. Plus at this point in college, we all should understand how imperative it is to be organized with any given assignment. If not quite there yet, then definitely learn this trade.

When receiving the project, organize your sources, desk and notes — basically anything that will be required of you to successfully finish the task at hand. If working on more than one project at a time, which is extremely common, make certain to separate your materials.

Nothing is worse than handing in a project that was meant for someone else, due yesterday and incomplete. To avoid this terrible and highly awkward situation, keep organized. It will do you some good.

Time Manage

Having deadlines is a must for any internship. Meeting those is also crucial. As you know, projects do not complete themselves, and they clearly require time. Therefore, manage it extremely well.

If assigned a large project, map it out, and provide a schedule for when you are able to work on it. With smaller projects, it is easier to knock one out at a time. This way you are applying focus to one task, and moving forward with another one when time permits. This obviously has exceptions depending on the specific project, but in most cases it works best.

If you are able to stick to your deadlines, then you are making the most out of your time, which is always valuable. Plus, you will be used to finishing things properly on short notice.

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Execute

When finally finished with a project, especially if it was a large one that took a while to successfully complete, then making sure you actually did it right is vital. This is why asking questions throughout the process is completely acceptable.

It is better to turn in something that took more time to master than simply rushing to submit a project that you thought you were doing properly. Plus, there is no worse news than having a sit-down with your internship supervisor, and having them tell you it was entirely wrong.

Save yourself some awkward tension, and learn as you go. This way, when you do finally hand in the assignment, you know you gave it your best effort, actually understood what it was you were doing, and can explain how and what you did for the project.

Internships can be great and informative, or not so much. Regardless though, it is a learning opportunity that teaches you the merit of completing tasks. Being punctual and organized are absolutely necessary traits to require. Understanding the tasks and executing them properly is also a given.

Depending on the project’s size and time commitment needed to accurately complete it will determine the overall effectiveness of said project. Large or small, they require a proper understanding and deserve your utmost attention.

Follow these tips, and it is fairly certain you will be receiving an A+ on your projects. Or at least an A for effort.

Looking for a top internship in an exciting city? Enroll in Dream Careers and guarantee yourself an internship and a fun summer in your choice of 11 cities globally. To visit our website, please click here.

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