First day for many summer interns and summer associates!
That means I get to share one of my favorite and most impactful pieces of advice.
Want to know the highest value, low-cost way to get more from the experience? Post-It Notes.
Yes, seriously, Post-It Notes.
Here’s why:
The most important parts of an internship are gaining experiences, learning about what you like and dislike, and completing projects that teach you or expose you to new skills. The problem is that it is challenging in the moment to identify them and even harder to remember them.
Plus when you get to an interview for your next job and you inevitably get the question: "How was the summer doing X" you have nothing meaningful to say. That should be the easiest and most valuable question!
So why post-its?
Keep a stack with you all summer at your desk wherever you are working. Having them in front of you will be a trigger to reflect on what you are doing, what you are learning, and any particularly cool or interesting experiences AS THESE MOMENTS HAPPEN.
When that happens, just jot a super quick note down and make a pile over the course of the summer. At the end of the summer or pre-interviews you can flip through the notes and reflect on opportunities gained and lessons learned. I promise it will be worth it!