Internship: Things to to before it ends

So today marks the last day of my summer internship. I have learned so much through the last four months and could not be any happier with my experience. While in the process of leaving, I have made sure to do the following things:

• Ask for letters of recommendation. In my case I had about 5 managers and supervisors whom I reported to, you may be in the same situation; in this case ask for letters from those who know your work the best.
• Write thank you letters to your team/managers. This is common etiquette. Frequently your team or managers will do the same. Thank them for taking the time to teach you new things and guide you through your internship (lord knows they probably had something better to do).
• Take all personal files with you or delete them. If you have a file from school or your resume saved on your corporate desktop, its best to erase it or transfer it to a USB for your personal use.
• Leave your workstation as you found it (provided it was clean). Even though you may never work here again, you want to leave a good impression with everyone you worked with. This includes not creating any extra work for anyone.
• If you plan to apply for another internship soon (which I do), make sure you ask your supervisor if you may list them as a reference.
• Update your resume. I typically do this within the first month of my internship; but nevertheless, your tasks and projects are still fresh in your mind so now is a good time to summarize them.
• Collect all contact information of managers. It is a good idea to write down your managers’ emails and phone numbers. It would be nice to send them occasional updates on yourself or greetings to keep in touch.

I have really enjoyed my internship. I learned to use my schooling in a practical environment and made some valuable contacts. Now I get about a month break before I will start applying to my next one…

Sincerely yours,

The Twenty Something