Tips brought to you by Ross Wade, Assistant Director of Career Services for the School of Communications

1. Be professional in your communication

When talking with colleagues, bosses, clients via email, make sure that you’re always very professional. Make sure to double-check everything before you email it – this will come with practice. There is an “art” to communicating professionally, according to Ross Wade.

2. Be eager

Make sure to show interest in learning new things! It’s important to be curious, proactive and to want to help out your employer. If you enjoy learning, people will be eager to work with you. It’s important to be enthusiastic, but make sure you aren’t over the top. And when you’re trying to learn, ask questions if you don’t know how to do something. Your boss wants to work with someone who has a great attitude and wants to learn.

3. Soak up as much information as possible

Not only will you become better versed in whatever you’re internship is, but you will also get to know the ins and outs of the people you work with. Talk to them about what they’re doing, how they got to where they are and why they wanted to do it. What do they hope for their future? Not only is this a great educational tool, but it’s also great for networking.

4. Work hard

This may seem obvious, but it’s one of the most important things an intern can do when starting out in a new place. “I’ve always heard, if you’re on time, you’re late,” Wade said. So make sure be the first person at your internship every day, and make sure that you’re the last person to leave. Don’t just do something at an adequate level – make sure to go that extra mile to prove yourself.

5. Stay connected

At the end of the summer, don’t forget about the people you’ve met and the things you’ve done – it’s important to stay in

contact! Build up those relationships. Get connected on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Check in with your boss and colleagues every few months and grow that relationship. Then, when it’s time to graduate college, your odds of getting a job have more than likely increased.