For university undergrads, internships are a great way to kickstart your career in your desired industry. They give us on-the-job training and insider information to the relevant industries, allowing us to apply the knowledge learnt from our undergraduate studies in real-world situations. In addition, they also allow undergraduates to build strong networks which can come in handy in the future.
Every internship is unique, and likewise, every intern is different (for better or for worse). Here are 10 types of interns you’ll see in the workplace, and which you should aim to be! PS. You may have met some of them before!
Intern No. 1: The socialite
Traits: Friendly and lovable
Let’s start with a positive example: The socialite. We all know this intern because they are always chatting with other colleagues about their personal lives and hobbies. Somehow, they are also friends with people from other departments as they make the additional effort to get to know people that they do not interact with on a daily basis. The socialite knows how to make connections well and makes colleagues feel comfortable around them. However, the socialite must also be able to deliver quality work in a timely manner as a good intern is more than just a friendly face!
Intern No. 2: The self-declared manager
Traits: Bossy and overreaching
Moving on to a negative example: the self-declared manager. We all detest this intern in the workplace. He/she bosses other interns around and sometimes gives their own work to other interns to complete. In addition, they act like they know a lot about the job, despite having similar levels of experience as other interns. As an intern, acting like a self-declared manager is a sure-fire way to make enemies in the workplace.
Intern No. 3: The OT zombie
Traits: Eyebags and a caffeine addiction
This is the intern that works OT (overtime) every day for the company. He/she is hardworking but sleep-deprived, constantly reaching work earlier and staying later than everyone else (truly living the infamous 9-9-6 lifestyle). You will normally see them chugging unhealthy amounts of coffee like plain water. While it is undoubtedly good to be hardworking, sleep deprivation is no laughing matter and can be dangerous in the long run. It is also important to take mental health breaks and unwind from work occasionally. One could politely discuss with their superior if the internship workload is overly demanding.
Intern No. 4: The M-I-A
Traits: Never around
This intern often fakes sickness to take MC. While it is important to declare any illness during this pandemic era, it is never acceptable to fake it for the sake of laziness. Furthermore, when in the office, he/she is always not at their desk. When they are working from home (WFH), their statuses are also always “offline” on Slack or Microsoft Teams. This is one of the worst types of interns as they showcase a lack of professionalism and will often receive a poor grade on their internship.
Intern No. 5: The “paid to use phone”
Traits: Constantly glued to their phones
This intern permanently has their phones in their hands, happily scrolling away on Instagram during working hours. You may also see them catching up on Netflix’s Squid Game when the boss is not in the office. While it is perfectly fine to take short breaks at work, we should not be constantly distracted by non-work-related activities. We should be professional and focused during our internships in order to learn and absorb as much as possible.
Intern No. 6: The clueless
Traits: Blur and careless
Another negative example is the clueless. He/she does not know what is going on and does not bother clarifying on the job scope or task requirements. The clueless constantly make mistakes on the job and forces his/her superiors to step in and remedy the situation. This is another intern that would be assessed poorly. It is perfectly understandable to not know everything about a job. But that is when interns should ask questions to better perform our tasks and gain more from the internship experience.
Intern No. 7: The learner
Traits: Inquisitive and independent
The opposite of number 6 is the learner. This intern asks questions when they don’t know what to do and asks for permission before carrying on with the project. You may also see him/her replying to emails for clarifications on certain topics. It may seem daunting at first, but most bosses appreciate it when their employees ask meaningful questions. This is definitely a good intern as being able to ask good questions at appropriate times is an important skill for any employee to cultivate. This skill will undoubtedly help us in our future careers.
Intern No. 8: The basically full-timer
Traits: Dependable and knowledgeable
Everyone loves this intern! The basically full-timer is an intern that does the job as well, or better than some full-timers. The basically full-timer combines both on-job experience and good work ethic. He/she is trustable such that the boss will delegate important work to this intern. In addition, this intern also helps new interns get accustomed to the job, dropping tips and useful life hacks. We stan the basically full-timers.
Intern No. 9: The over-competitive
Traits: Competitive and aggressive
Another detestable intern is the over-competitive. In Singapore, these types of people are commonly referred to as “kiasu” – scared to lose. This intern does others’ work even when not delegated to them and places pressure on others to compete on work completed. While it is great to be excited about your work, we should not turn it into a competition as a means of outshining other interns. An internship is a non-zero-sum game where all interns have the opportunity to excel.
Intern No. 10: The “ideal” intern
I would first like to start by saying that there is no step-by-step model answer to being a fantastic intern. Every intern must remain adaptable to the team dynamics and job requirements. However, there are some general traits mentioned previously that an ideal intern should possess. These are traits that undergrads could emulate during our internships.
Similar to the basically full-timer, a good intern has a good work ethic, completing quality work on time in a systematic manner. This comes in the form of replying to emails promptly and keeping a detailed calendar of events. During working hours, a good intern should also refrain from excessive smartphone usage, unlike the paid to use phone intern.
2. Ideate independently
While we should not be overly competitive, we should also take initiative during our internship. If we see something that can be done more efficiently, we should highlight it to our superiors.
3. Friendly to superiors and colleagues
Building relations and rapport is also a pivotal part of an internship. Similar to the socialite, undergrads should also be friendly and approachable on the job. It is also good to strike up a conversation with our colleagues when appropriate.
We should express our gratitude to our superiors and colleagues when we conclude our internships. It will also be to your benefit if you are able to get a letter of recommendation or testimonial from your boss!
Fireside Chat
In addition, NUS Investment Society would also like to share some advice and experiences from NUS Investment Society President – Marcus Tan. Marcus has interned as a summer analyst at Bank of America and a spring analyst at ING.
Marcus’ advice for undergraduates looking for internships:
Some might say that the first internship you get in your university life might be the most challenging one as you have zero work experience. In general, here are some steps you could take to put yourself ahead of the curve:
A. Join CCAs related to your desired industry and assume leadership positions. This shows the yearn to learn and the involvement in the field of interest.
B. Join competitions. This gives you material to send to your interviewer prior to the interview. Even though getting a placing would be ideal, participation in competitions could also show that you are a self-motivated individual
C. Apply to as many relevant companies as possible as applications are a numbers game, the more applications, the better your odds.
D. Refer to seniors who achieved your dream positions and apply to where they started interning at.
I was at ING doing leveraged finance and the full-time analyst and I were both staffed on live deals. We were working on the model and it was around 1am. I was listening to some rock music on my headphones while getting work done. We were the only ones left in the office and my analyst told me to blast the music out and we sang along with songs while we finished up the model. We went home at 3am that night but it was a good time.
The Grind Ahead
Hopefully from this article you have a better idea on how to embark on your future internships and how to be a better intern. It is important to remember that rejection is only normal in the internship application. What matters is to take heart and keep pushing on. And with that, we’ve come to the end of the article. Wishing everyone the best in your internship applications!