Dear Future Interns,
Whether you’re reading this because you’re getting ready for your first day, looking for a little reassurance before the summer begins, searching for blog inspiration, or simply taking a break from your project for a few minutes… I’m glad you’re here.
Right now, you’re probably feeling a mix of excitement, curiosity, and maybe a few nerves. That’s exactly how I felt, too. Ten weeks sounds like a long time when you’re standing at the starting line. You’ll probably tell yourself there’s plenty of time to introduce yourself to new people, attend that event, ask your supervisor that question, or finally start that task you’ve been putting off. Trust me… There isn’t.
The ten weeks will disappear much faster than you think. One minute you’re walking into orientation wondering what the summer will look like, and the next you’re giving your midpoint presentation and wondering where all the time went. So before I tell you anything else, here’s the biggest piece of advice I can give you:
Do It Now Instead of Later
Have a question? Ask it. Have an idea? Share it. Want to meet someone from another department? Reach out. Thinking about going to an optional event? Go. There will always be another day or at least that’s what you’ll tell yourself. But those “I’ll do it tomorrow” moments add up quickly. Before you know it, tomorrow becomes the last week, and the last week becomes your last day.
One of the biggest things I learned this summer is that internships aren’t just about completing a project. They’re about making the most of every opportunity that comes your way. Some of the most valuable lessons you’ll learn won’t come from your assigned tasks they’ll come from the conversations you have, the people you meet, and the experiences you say yes to.
Your First Day
Let’s start with your first day.
You’ll probably be wondering who the other interns are, whether you’ll remember everyone’s names, or if you’re the only one feeling nervous. You’re not. Everyone is walking in with the same thoughts. Then comes your first day with your team. One thing that surprised me was how welcoming everyone was. People I had never met would stop by just to introduce themselves or say hello. It made those first-day nerves disappear much faster than I expected.
Remember, you’re not just another intern walking through the building. Everyone is excited to have you here. They know you’ll bring fresh ideas, new perspectives, and lots of curiosity. So don’t be afraid to smile first, introduce yourself, and start conversations. Chances are, the person you’re talking to remembers exactly what it felt like to be in your shoes.
Make Connections
If there’s one thing I hope you don’t miss out on, it’s the people. Make connections with your fellow interns because they’re the only people going through the exact same experience as you. Celebrate each other’s wins, help each other through challenges, grab lunch together, and don’t be afraid to ask each other for advice. Some of these people may become lifelong friends. Others may become professional connections you’ll cross paths with years from now. Either way, those relationships are just as valuable as the projects you’ll complete.
And don’t stop there. Talk to people outside your team. Ask someone how they got to where they are today. Introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met before. Some of my favorite conversations happened with people I wasn’t originally planning to meet. Everyone has a different career journey, and you’d be surprised how much you can learn just by asking someone, “How did you get here?”
The story I’m about to tell you has nothing to do with work but everything to do with the internship. You know what’s funny? The memories that make me smile the most aren’t from the big milestones. They’re from the random little moments that became part of our everyday routine. For me, it was our daily 7 Brew runs. If you’re new to the area, 7 Brew is a drive-thru coffee stand just down the road from headquarters. At the beginning of the internship, I’d disappear for a few minutes around lunchtime almost every day because, well…I needed my caffeine fix. Eventually, the other interns started asking, “Where do you keep going every lunch?” The next thing I knew, one person came with me. Then a few more. Before long, our quick coffee run became a daily tradition. Looking back, it was never really about the coffee. It was about the conversations in the car, the random stories we’d tell, laughing about our day, and taking a break together before heading back to work. Those little trips became something I looked forward to every day, and they’re some of the memories I’ll dearly miss the most. So if your group starts a tradition whether it’s coffee runs, lunch together, afternoon walks, or something completely different, say YES.
Lunch-and-Learns
One of my favorite parts of the internship was Thursday lunch-and-learns. Every week you’ll get the chance to step away from your desk, enjoy lunch with your fellow interns, and hear from people across the company about different careers, experiences, and topics you might never have thought about before. Take notes. Ask questions. Engage. You never know which piece of advice will stay with you long after the internship ends. When the session is over, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to the speaker or connect with them on LinkedIn. Building your network doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, “Thank you for sharing your story. I really enjoyed your presentation.” Those small conversations can grow into valuable professional connections in the future.
Now… I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention one very important thing. The food. Everyone told us we’d miss the lunch-and-learn lunches after the internship was over. Turns out… They weren’t exaggerating. Enjoy every Thursday.
Your Midpoint Presentation
Now let’s talk about something that might already be sitting in the back of your mind “the Midpoint Presentation”.
The moment I found out we’d be presenting in front of our supervisors, fellow interns, and company executives, I immediately started overthinking it. Public speaking can already be intimidating. Presenting your work to company leaders? Even more intimidating. I remember someone from the internship program leaders telling us, “You’ll feel so much better once you get up there and start presenting.” I’ll be honest… I didn’t believe them. I smiled, nodded, and thought, “Easy for you to say”. But they were absolutely right. The hardest part is waiting for your turn. Once you begin talking about a project you’ve spent weeks working on, it becomes much more natural than you imagined. Before you know it, you’re finishing your presentation and wondering why you spent so much time worrying.
One thing everyone kept reminding us was that everyone in that room wanted us to succeed. They’re not waiting for you to make a mistake. They’re excited to see everything you’ve accomplished. They’re cheering for you before you even start. And then there’s the part everyone secretly worries about… the Q&A session! I think almost every intern in my group agreed that this was the scariest part. But here’s what I learned. It’s perfectly okay not to know every answer. You’re an intern. No one expects you to know everything. What they do expect is that you’ve been learning, asking questions, and putting in the effort and trust me, they can see that. You’ve already done the hardest part. You’ve spent weeks learning, solving problems, and turning all of that work into a presentation that’s only a few minutes long. That’s something to be proud of. Take a deep breath, trust yourself, and enjoy the moment.
Before presentation day, I kept manifesting that I’d go first or second because I hate waiting around and letting my nerves build up. Well… I guess I wasn’t specific enough because the universe technically granted my wish. I was second… from the end. The anticipation was honestly the hardest part. The longer I waited, the more nervous I became. By the time my name was called, there was nothing left to do except take a deep breath, walk up there, and give it everything I had.
What surprised me most was how supportive the room felt. Every smile, nod, and encouraging expression reminded me that the audience wasn’t there to judge us – they were there to celebrate how far each intern had come. That simple realization made standing at the front of the room feel a little less intimidating. Looking back, those might seem like such small moments. But when you’re standing in front of a room full of people with your heart racing, those little acts of encouragement mean everything. They remind you that you’re not standing up there alone. Everyone in that room wants you to succeed.
Don’t Be Afraid to Speak Up
One of the biggest ways I grew this summer had nothing to do with my projects. It was learning to speak up. Ask questions. Share ideas. Volunteer for something you’ve never done before. There were plenty of moments when I wondered if my question was too simple or if my idea wasn’t worth sharing. I’m glad I shared them anyway. You’re here because people believe in your potential, not because they expect you to have years of experience. Curiosity will take you much further than pretending to know all the answers.
Be Present
Take pictures. Write things down. Celebrate small wins. You’ll think you’ll remember everything. You won’t. Some of my favorite memories weren’t the big milestones. They were the everyday moments: laughing with other interns, chatting with coworkers between meetings, grabbing lunch together, and celebrating when someone finally solved a problem they’d been working on. Those little moments end up becoming the memories you miss the most. It’s easy to spend the summer thinking about the presentation, your project deadline, or what comes after the internship. Don’t rush through it. Be present. Enjoy the conversations. Enjoy the challenges. Enjoy learning something new every day. Most importantly, enjoy being an intern.
Because before you know it, you’ll be writing a letter like this for the next group. When you look back on these ten weeks, I hope you don’t think about the opportunities you almost took. I hope you think about the ones you did.
Wishing you an unforgettable summer,
A Former Intern
Dawn
