Want to stand out in your internship? Here’s how
Sent by Lasse Palomaki | June 20, 2025
This post was originally published in The Strategic Student Newsletter — a monthly email sharing practical strategies to help students turn their degree into job offers. Want future editions sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe here.
Want to stand out in your internship? Here’s how
Landed an internship for the summer? Congratulations — now let's make it count.
A great internship can do more than fill your resume. It can:
Confirm (or reshape) your career direction
Expand your network and social capital
Boost your confidence and skillset
Get your foot in the door for a return offer
Help you stand out when applying to future roles
But those outcomes aren’t automatic.
They’re the result of being intentional about how you show up, what you focus on, and how you build relationships.
And unfortunately, most students never learn how to do that in an internship.
They show up on day one still figuring out the basics, while others already have a plan. They spend the first few weeks reacting to whatever comes their way, instead of building toward goals that matter to them. And by the time they hit their stride, the internship is nearly over — and the momentum they built quietly fizzles out.
The truth is, many students get support landing internships. But few get help making the most of them once they’re in the trenches.
That’s a missed opportunity.
Internships offer exposure, experience, and connections that can shape your future — but those benefits aren’t guaranteed. They’re earned through the choices you make and the strategy you bring.
And none of that happens by accident. It happens when you treat your internship like a career-building opportunity — not just a way to make a few bucks over the summer.
Here’s the good news: being strategic doesn’t require more talent, more hours, or more experience. It requires intention.
This newsletter walks through the three critical phases of a successful internship:
What to do before it begins
How to stand out during the experience
How to extract the most value after it ends
All so that you come out more confident, more capable, and more prepared for your next role.
Quick note: Already started your internship? Nothing to worry about — all of the steps covered will still add value to your experience.
Before the Internship
Standout interns don’t start on Day 1. They start before it.
If you show up without a plan, you’ll spend the first few weeks reacting — just trying to keep up while others are already making an impression. Don’t give them a head start.
This section walks you through five key actions to take before your internship begins so that you can hit the ground running, contribute faster, and stand out early.
1. Set Personal Goals
If you don’t define what success looks like, your internship will be shaped by chance — not by you.
You can’t expect to get meaningful outcomes from this experience if you haven’t first decided what you want from it. And once your internship begins, things move quickly. Without a clear plan, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks and lose sight of the bigger picture.
The more clarity you have going in, the easier it’ll be to seek the right opportunities, advocate for yourself, and measure your growth.
Ask yourself:
What skills do I want to build this summer?
What tools or software do I want hands-on experience with?
Who do I want to build relationships with — and why?
What would make me say, “That was transformational”?
Write your answers down.
These goals will shape what you ask for, how you approach your work, and who you reach out to along the way. They give your internship direction — and make it easier to track your progress.
You might be thinking, “Won’t my supervisor just tell me what I’ll be working on?”
Yes, to an extent. But supervisors also appreciate interns who take initiative, express where they want to grow, and show a genuine desire to learn. When you share your goals early, it not only opens the door to more relevant projects and mentorship — it also helps your team see what kind of intern you’re trying to become, and how they can support you along the way.
You don’t need to (and won't be able to) control every part of the internship — but if setting and expressing your goals leads to even a 10% more focused experience, like getting hands-on with a tool you want to learn or a project you want exposure to, that's a win. It gives you stronger stories, more impactful resume bullets, and a confidence boost when it’s time to talk about what you did.
2. Plan Your Logistics
The more you figure out ahead of time, the less you’ll have to worry about on Day 1 and the more headspace you’ll have to focus on making a strong first impression.
That means:
Confirming your start date, schedule, and location
Mapping out your commute or prepping your virtual setup
Testing hardware, software, and logins
Knowing who to contact if something goes wrong
Preparation may not feel exciting, but it’s a competitive edge. It lets you show up calm, confident, and ready to contribute — while others are still scrambling.
3. Research the Organization
The earlier you understand the team, the culture, and the work, the earlier you go from observer to contributor — and the easier it is to earn trust, credibility, and meaningful work.
Before Day 1, take time to learn:
The organization’s mission, values, and any major initiatives
What’s happening in the news, on their social media, or within their industry
Who’s on your team and what their roles or career paths can teach you
How your team’s work fits into the broader goals of the company
This kind of preparation does more than help you follow conversations — it helps you participate in them.
When you walk into a meeting already aware of the campaign that launched last week, or you reference an industry trend in a conversation with your manager, you immediately signal that you’re tuned in and thinking beyond your own role.
That’s how interns stand out — not by knowing everything, but by showing they care enough to do their homework.
A few tips to make this easier:
Check the company’s LinkedIn and press releases for recent updates
Read the bios of your teammates on LinkedIn — note their backgrounds and any overlaps with your interests
Search for articles or interviews featuring company leaders — they often reveal priorities that don’t show up in job descriptions
If you’ll be working with a product or service, try to understand who the customer is and how your team contributes to the experience
None of this takes more than an hour or two, but it’s one of the highest-ROI things you can do to start strong.
4. Talk to Past Interns
If there’s one shortcut to standing out, it’s learning from someone who’s already been in your shoes.
Past interns have the playbook. They know what the role is really like, what teams value, and what helps an intern succeed (or fall flat). And they’re often just one message away.
You can usually find them through:
LinkedIn (search under the company page or filter by school)
Student orgs or career clubs in your major
Your career center or alumni network
Once you connect, ask questions like:
What do you wish you knew before Day 1?
What helped you make a good impression?
Were there any early mistakes you learned from?
Who else at the company helped you grow?
These conversations can uncover things no onboarding packet will tell you, like which teams are open to shadowing, how interns got pulled into special projects, or why some interns got return offers and others didn’t.
It might feel intimidating to reach out, but most people are happy to help, especially if you’re polite, curious, and specific about why you’re reaching out.
This one step can save you from months of trial and error and help you start your internship on solid ground.
5. Build Your Intern Pitch
You’ll be meeting new people constantly — in meetings, elevators, virtual calls, team lunches, and one-on-ones. Having a clear, confident way to introduce yourself helps you make stronger impressions and start better conversations from day one.
Craft a simple 30–45 second pitch that includes:
Who you are (school, major, and any relevant background)
Your internship role and the team you’re on
What you’re excited to work on or learn this summer
A personal detail to make it more relatable or memorable
Here’s a quick example:
“Hi, I’m Maya — a junior studying economics at ASU. This summer I’m working with the corporate strategy team as a business operations intern. I’m especially excited to learn more about how we use data to shape high-level decisions. Outside of work, I love hiking and baking — so if you have any favorite trails or dessert spots, I’m all ears!”
You don’t need to rehearse it word-for-word, just get comfortable hitting the key points so you can introduce yourself naturally in any setting.
It might feel small, but this kind of preparation builds confidence, and confidence helps you speak up, ask better questions, and connect faster.
During the Internship
Once your internship begins, every interaction, project, and conversation becomes part of your track record. You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to be intentional.
The best interns aren’t just completing tasks. They’re building relationships, asking good questions, paying attention to how the organization works, and finding smart ways to add value.
This section walks you through the key actions to take while you’re in the role, so you can stay aligned, stand out, and actually grow from the experience.
1. Get On the Same Page With Your Supervisor
Most intern issues don’t come from lack of effort — they come from miscommunication.
If you don’t know what’s expected of you, how success is defined, or how to ask for feedback, you’ll spend most of the internship guessing (and second-guessing).
Your first task?
Schedule a 1:1 with your supervisor as early as you can (ideally Week 1).
Then ask these seven questions:
What are my priority projects during this internship?
How is success measured by the end of the summer?
Who should I get to know outside of our core team?
What’s the best way to ask for your feedback or input?
What made the best interns you’ve had stand out?
How do you prefer to communicate — email, chat, text, or something else?
Are there any resources or trainings you’d recommend I start with?
For a deeper dive into why each of these questions matter, check out this post.
Most interns never ask these questions. They spend weeks figuring it out the hard way.
But if you ask them in Week 1? While others are still getting oriented, you’ll already be building momentum. That’s how you stand out.
2. Network Proactively
Your internship isn’t just about the work you do — it’s about the people you meet.
The relationships you build now can open doors, shape your career path, and help you grow in ways no project ever could. But that won’t happen by accident. You have to be intentional.
Make it a goal to connect across levels:
Those above you (senior team members, directors, even executives) can give you insight into what success looks like in the long run. They’ve navigated key career decisions, know how the business works, and can help you connect your current role to future possibilities. These relationships can turn into long-term mentors or advocates down the line.
Those around you (fellow interns, recent grads, early-career employees) are navigating many of the same challenges you are. They can share tips, tools, and lessons learned in real time. These are the peers you’ll grow up in your career with, and building those connections now can lead to future collaborations, referrals, and friendships that support your growth.
Ask yourself:
Who would I love to learn from and how can I reach out?
Which fellow interns or teammates should I get to know better?
How can I create time for casual chats or intentional 1:1s?
How can I follow up and turn good conversations into real relationships?
Start simple. Message someone after a meeting to ask about their role. Invite a fellow intern to lunch. Ask a senior team member if they’d be open to a quick coffee chat.
And when you do meet with someone, show up curious, prepared, and respectful of their time. A thoughtful 15-minute conversation can leave a lasting impression if you ask good questions and follow up meaningfully.
Want ideas for great questions to ask? Check out our Informational Interview Guide.
Finally, don't make the mistake most interns do — leaving these conversations at one interaction. If you find a person who you made a strong connection with (and/or learned a lot from), make sure to schedule a follow-up conversation.
One-off chats are great. A series of them can be transformational.
More about the value of multiple interactions in this post.
3. Seek Feedback Proactively
Feedback is a cheat code for growth.
And during an internship, that feedback doesn't come from a professor — it comes from people who actually work in the field you’re trying to break into. They know what success looks like in that area and can provide highly relevant advice on your growth.
You can either passively wait for it, or you can ask for it and improve in real time.
The truth is, most interns avoid feedback because it makes them uncomfortable. But avoiding it won’t make it go away, it just makes it harder to process when it finally arrives.
Asking for feedback does more than help you improve. It builds your reputation as someone who’s driven and coachable. And those two qualities matter in every field.
More advice on how to actually go about asking for feedback in this post.
4. Track the 3 P's
Internships move fast.
You’re learning constantly, juggling new tasks, and meeting new people every week. And with everything happening at once, it’s easy to forget just how much progress you’re making.
That’s why it helps to take 5 minutes each week to track these three things:
Projects
• What did I work on or finish this week?
• What tools, skills, or software did I use?
• What impact did I make (metrics, outcomes, results)?
People
• Who did I meet or collaborate with for the first time?
• Who offered advice, mentorship, or support?
• Who do I want to follow up with or stay connected to?
Performance
• What feedback (positive or constructive) did I receive?
• What actions or behaviors led to that feedback?
• What strengths or skill gaps are starting to emerge?
You won’t list every one of these things on your resume — but tracking them now will help you:
Write stronger bullet points later
Maintain relationships with the right people
Build a focused development plan for next semester
Internships teach you a lot in the moment, but the real impact shows up later in clearer goals, sharper skills, and better opportunities.
Track them now, leverage them later.
5. Ask to Return (if Interested)
If you want to stay, tell them.
Interns who express interest (and back it up with results) stand out from those who stay silent and hope for the best.
If you’re interested in a return offer, make your intentions known. That doesn’t mean making demands, it means being proactive, professional, and clear about your interest.
When the timing feels right (ideally before your final week), schedule a quick check-in with your manager and cover three things:
Why you’re interested in returning: Share what you’ve enjoyed and what you’re excited to keep learning or contributing to.
What you’ve contributed: Make a brief business case by highlighting what you’ve worked on, any impact you’ve made, and how you’ve grown.
Your mindset moving forward: Emphasize your enthusiasm, openness to feedback, and desire to keep building on what you’ve started.
Showing initiative now can lead to real opportunities later, or at the very least, helpful guidance on what it would take to come back.
After the Internship
Your last day isn’t the end of the experience — it’s the beginning of what you do with it.
Now’s the time to reflect, reconnect, and build on the progress you’ve made. Too many interns log off, move on, and miss the opportunity to capture the value they’ve created.
This section walks you through how to close strong, make sense of what you’ve learned, and turn your experience into future opportunities.
1. Reflect on Your Experience
Looking back helps you move forward.
Internships aren’t just about confirming what you want to do, they also help you figure out what you don’t want. Honest reflection helps you identify what energized you, what drained you, and what kind of environment actually brings out your best.
It also helps you make sense of what you’ve learned, where you’ve grown, and how this experience shaped your thinking about what’s next.
Ask yourself:
What did I genuinely enjoy (and not enjoy) about the work I did?
What parts of the role felt frustrating or misaligned with my strengths?
What team dynamics helped me thrive or held me back?
What kind of environment do I want more of (or less of) in the future?
What skills or experiences do I want to build next?
What would I do differently in my next internship?
Don’t let your experience blur together once it’s over.
Take time to process it while it’s still fresh and use those insights to shape your next move with more clarity, more confidence, and more direction.
2. Build a Skill Development Plan
You’ve seen what the role actually requires.
Now’s your chance to build the knowledge and skills you wish you had on Day 1, so your next Day 1 starts at a whole new level.
Every project, challenge, and conversation gave you insight into where you're strong and where you could grow. Don’t ignore those observations. Use them.
Ask yourself:
What skills or tools held me back from contributing at a higher level?
What tasks felt challenging, and what would’ve helped me handle them better?
What skills did top interns or teammates have that I want to develop?
What can I start doing this semester to close that gap?
This doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul. A single online course, some targeted practice, or joining a project on campus can all move you forward. But don’t stop there — the biggest gains come from consistent effort over time.
The more focused you are on closing the right gaps, the more prepared and confident you’ll be when your next opportunity comes.
Turn your experience into a game plan. That’s how you make the internship keep working for you long after it ends.
3. Maintain Connections
Internships are short, but the relationships you build can open doors for years to come.
Whether or not you plan to return, staying in touch with the people who supported you is one of the most overlooked (and highest-impact) things you can do. It keeps you top of mind for future roles, referrals, and mentorship.
Ask yourself:
Who supported or advocated for me, and have I properly thanked them?
Have I connected with them on LinkedIn with a thoughtful message?
Who do I genuinely want to stay in touch with and why?
What’s one way I can follow up or add value now that the internship has ended?
This doesn’t have to be complicated. A thank-you email. A short message sharing how their advice helped you. An article you came across that reminded you of a conversation you had.
Small actions show appreciation and keep the connection warm.
Your network isn’t something you build once. It’s something you continue building, one thoughtful interaction at a time.
This Month’s Challenge
Each month, I'll share a simple exercise, habit, or mindset shift that, when repeated and built upon, can help you maximize the return you get from college over time.
Here’s this month’s challenge:
Step 1: Set up your tracking system
Create a running doc (Google Doc, Notes app, Notion — whatever works for you) with three simple headers:
Projects: What did I work on? What tools or skills did I use? What was the impact?
People: Who did I collaborate with or learn from? Who should I follow up with?
Performance: What feedback did I receive — positive or constructive? What strengths or gaps are emerging?
This doesn’t have to be pretty. It just needs to be convenient and easily accessible so that you can reduce any friction in doing this on a weekly basis.
Step 2: Reflect weekly (starting today)
At the end of each week, take 5–10 minutes to jot down what stood out in each category.
Ask yourself:
What did I do this week that’s worth remembering?
What connections did I make or deepen?
What feedback did I receive — and how can I apply it?
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s momentum.
Step 3: Stay consistent through the rest of the summer
By the time your internship ends, you’ll have:
A record of your biggest contributions
A list of people you want to stay connected to
A clear sense of how you’ve grown — and where to focus next
Most interns try to remember it all at the end. Strategic interns start tracking now — and finish with a story worth telling.
Ready to be More Strategic About Internships
If you found this guide helpful, check out my internship-focused workshop below.
Internships That Count is a live, high-impact session designed to help students turn their internships into job offers — through strategy, not chance.
The session is:
Action-oriented — students walk away with clear steps they can apply immediately
Backed by a full workbook — perfect for summer tracking, fall reflection, or use in career courses
Built for results — this isn’t fluff. It’s the same framework I’ve shared with hundreds of students at universities across the nation.
Whether you’re supporting summer interns or preparing students for next year, this session helps them turn their internships into long-term career assets that open future opportunities. You can find more details here.
For more practical tips in the meantime, I’m sharing internship advice all summer over on LinkedIn. Feel free to follow along and share with others who might benefit!
That's all for this edition. I’ll be back next month with more practical, no-fluff advice to keep you moving forward.
In the meantime, you can check out a full list of our resources (including free guides, tools, and more) here and follow me on LinkedIn for weekly content here.
College is an investment. Let’s make sure you get a return on it.
Lasse
Founder, The Strategic Student
