1.     Do not bite off more than you can chew
An internship should be a rewarding experience for you to apply what you have learned in your studies in a real life setting. If at any point you feel like you cannot handle your workload, then it is time to prioritise and seek advice from your supervisor and/or coworkers.

2.     Do not compare yourself to others
Internships are about learning, so make sure you work at your own pace and achieve your personal learning goals. Others in the workplace will have more experience than you, so it’s best not to compare your achievements and tasks to what others are doing.

3.     Remember you do not have to love the internship to succeed
What you may initially think you want to do in your career is not necessarily what you will end up doing or enjoying. You will never know until you try and it is better to find out sooner than later in your career! Know that you will still gain great work experience no matter what internship you have.

4.     Network, network, network!
When you are in your internship, please do not stay glued to your desk. Networking helps you build up your list of professional references that can help you later in your job search.

5.     Ask for a concrete project
Talk to your boss about setting a concrete project deliverable for the duration of your internship so that you can claim ownership and personal contribution in your resume. This also prevents you from being limited to the more basic tasks. 

Find out more content like this in our section Career Advice.