by Anna Cherentsova

The benefits of an internship cannot be overestimated. Statistical evidence shows that graduates who have internship experience get jobs quicker and start at a higher salary than those without. Through an internship, a better perspective of the industry is gained. An internship will give you a greater sense of confidence in your abilities and helps get the inner feeling of a profession you are convincing yourself is your destiny. Another underlying headstone is gaining practical benefits that cannot be gained in the classroom.

Internship is a fascinating learning experience, and so is the process of obtaining one. Why not go through the steps of application, choice and interview as a challenging adventure?

Level one of a Great Internship. Before you apply, get equipped with a good strategy regarding the following:

• Are you dwelling on choosing the area where you are seeking to grow professionally? It does not have to match 100% with your university major: no placement offered fancies finding a sophisticated expert for a couple of months. Most internship providing companies look for someone to help out with clients or papers, take on a portion of phone calls or localize certain features for external markets. In the case you belong to a technical niche, you would most likely be offered to do small operating tasks, laboratory assistance or a minor development project. Marketing or customer service skills gained within your industry are a good investment whatever your future holds! Thus if there seem to be no offers matching your basic skill directly, don’t hesitate to take one step aside and go for something implicitly related to your field: your proficiency is still to be discovered when you get to your duties.
• Plan the dates of completing your internship according to the annual phases of your industry, if it is calendar or weather, specific. Choose the seasonal timing appropriate for your business area. For positions in tourism and hospitality, education or seasonal sports, some facilities reduce staffing levels and cut back work hours even for year-round employees during the low season, and the number of interns in demand may decrease to zero.
• Be flexible and open minded about where you want to work. Focus on the idea that an internship can do you no wrong. It is a very rare chance that a company would neglect an intern or mistreat you. Just in case, take care to look at the General Corporate code rules BEST provides. In most cases, you will benefit from what you go through. If during the training time you turn to dislike one of the aspects of you post like the office atmosphere or working mode, try learning from the situation the best way you can, and see what depends on you to turn negative to positive. Be open to suggest ideas and explain your point! Now when you are a trainee, you have nothing to lose and can practice new behavior strategies, while permanent work position may imply having similar problems with heavier consequences. Look at yourself as a learner and at the new surroundings as a life laboratory 
• If you are to choose between several offers, it is always better to work at an internship site that is committed to mentoring you and to helping you learn and grow. This is the inner side of corporate life that may be quite hard to investigate on, but it is worth while to screen through the overviews and ask for recommendations. Do not automatically assume that a big name facility equals a quality learning experience. Be aware that more benefit can be gained by working at a lesser known property with good management and systems on site. We will do our best to provide you with the most profound information on your employer.

Level two of a Great Internship. Get prepared to stand out:

• Have an excellent cover letter and resume. Look through our online tips and outlines, ask for advice, and come up with an appealing introduction about yourself.
• Plan your interview outfit. An employer is not expecting you to wear branded and expensive clothes, but take the time to think about what might bring good impression following the standards of the environment where you are going to work. Don’t take the risk of being misjudged in your first interview.
• Be very prepared for interviews. Employers are seeking enthusiastic, bright and motivated students to fill internship positions, and don’t expect you to have previous experience. Thus, in interviews, your ability to communicate these qualities including your background, skills, talents, and willingness to work hard and do a good job is key.
• Make an impression with all that you say and do. The following questions will help you to structure an interview when applying for an internship position. Answers would help you to give employers general information about your commitments and targets.
  • Do I attend and actively participate in group meetings?
  • Do I dress professionally?
  • Do I treat my fellow workers and supervisors with respect?
  • Am I friendly, positive and outgoing?
  • Do I complete my assignments in a timely and thoughtful manner?
  • Have I given faculty and staff sufficient notice?

Level three of a Great Internship. Create your image at the internship venue:

• Arrive on time for work. Always plan to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early for your shift.
• Dress for success. Keep your clothing pressed. Get your shoes shined.
• Read your firm’s Policies and Procedures Manual.
• Bring a positive “can do” attitude to your workplace. Volunteer to do more than what is asked of you. Your positive outlook, extra effort and enthusiasm will not go unnoticed.
• Introduce yourself to all members of the team. This includes people outside your immediate area. Ask them questions about themselves and what they do. The relationships you form will make your current experience more rewarding and will be valuable to your career further down the road.
• Meet all of the requirements of your internship in a timely manner. Before you go on your internship, you should be aware of all due dates for monthly check-ins and the final report deadline. You are responsible not only for your own assignments, but also for keeping an eye on your supervisor turning in the internship agreement and evaluation on time.

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Anna Cherentsova has been a BEST Programs coordinator for the Russian region and for Russian-speaking applicants since 2012. Having a broad personal work experience from tourism and hotel business to science and technology and fluent in four languages, she is very enthusiastic about welcoming young professionals from all over the world in all areas. Soon after taking on the coordination in Saint Petersburg Anna boosted the Russian branch to a new level of client flow capacity, simultaneously processing up to 20 placements, maintaining an individual approach and caring attitude. Anna is currently living and promoting BEST services in Tallinn, Estonia, exploring new ways to ease connections between Europe and Russia and contribute to creating stronger cultural ties with her native country. Anna travels to Saint Petersburg and Moscow multiple times yearly to supervise internship venues and do on site orientations.