3 tips for your Senior Internship Abroadby Erin TaylorThis semester I had the privilege to intern at

3 tips for your Senior Internship Abroad

by Erin Taylor

This semester I had the privilege to intern at a fantastic environmental and human rights organization with an office in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

 Being an intern is very strange, this is important. You’re in a strange space where you’re not really an employee but you’re also not not an employee. There was a point in my internship where I went in every day, which is more intensive than most IRIS internships require but it’s all about being a part of the process and the office.

 I have a few hot tips on how to make your time at your internship a fun, worthwhile experience and hopefully a little less awkward.

 ●Communication is key. ○ This one seems obvious but it’s actually surprising how easy it is to not communicate or leave out a really important topic that must be communicated. When working in any workplace, it’s really necessary to communicate expectations, schedules, and abilities. If you feel you’re not familiar with how to do something, communicate it and express a willingness to learn. I feel often times because of the strangeness of being in an intern position and trying to find your “place”, it’s easy to agree to do things that you’re not even really sure how to do. The brilliant aspect of an internship though is that you’re able to learn and it gives you the space to explore new abilities and capabilities. You could surprise yourself, but first, you must communicate so that you don’t end up three weeks past agreeing to do something and it’s due tomorrow with no idea on how to do it. This will just lead to complications and possible disappointment for everyone involved. Having conversations while being an intern may be hard sometimes, but they want you to do well and take something from this experience. Communicate with them so you can get the most out of it.

 ● Get involved. ○ This may seem obvious, but it’s really easy to go to a workplace and not become a “part” of the workplace. Being a part of an office environment isn’t just about showing up to work but about getting to know your co-workers as people. Especially in an intern position, it is easy to feel like you’re an outsider and to some extent, at least initially, you are. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Take up co-workers on offers to get lunch, start up conversations with them, hear about who they are as people. You’ll be much more memorable as an intern if you allow people to get to know you as a real person and reach past the strange layers of professionalism that comes with the title “intern”.

 ● Make yourself indispensable. ○ Every workplace is different but it’s very easy for a lot of interns to kind of just be given busy work or even in some cases, just be there as a body to take up space. You need to make yourself valuable to your organization, you were given this internship for a reason! You have important skills, though, and most importantly, your time to offer. Don’t allow your time to go by without making an impact on your organization, however small. Being an intern can be awkward, strange, and confusing sometimes. But if you allow yourself to go into it with an open mind, availability, and really show them you’re in it, your experience will go wonderfully. Just be willing to communicate, be a part of the office culture, and actually put in the proper work to make yourself a shoe-in for a recommendation in the future.