What To Do After Your Internship?

It might be a little bit deflating knowing that your time abroad might be coming to a close. So, it is best to think about what you can do once you go home, to capture everything that you have achieved whilst being away.

Sometimes, as part of your University degree, it is compulsory to create a work-placement report or portfolio that details your experiences and tasks undertaken during your time at the company. These reports are normally 1500 words or so and can actually have a strong weighting regarding one’s overall grade.

Some may require a presentation about said internship / work placement, which may then require research into what makes a successful presentation. Sometimes, these presentation form part of a group assessment, meaning that the collaborative piece must feature the work of all team members.

Me personally, my University did not require me to undertake such report. However, I thought it would be beneficial to me if I conducted my own report or portfolio that would be used as tangible evidence for prospective employers as to the work I have completed during my time in Malta.

Work placement reports and portfolios are a great way of showcasing everything that one has achieved. These do not have to be incredibly ‘wordy’ but it is vital to make sure that everything that you have done and achieved is noted down and discussed accordingly.

I have always been told that employers love to see evidence of things that you have done. After speaking with many professionals, they have noted that when an interviewee can produce tangible evidence of what they have done, achieved or pursued, it makes them look a lot more attractive in terms of employability.

Some of the best ways to make sure that you are keeping track of all your attainments will be listed below.

• Keep a daily journal – A journal is one of the best ways to record and recollect everything that you have done, felt and pursued at work on that particular day. You can either make a daily or weekly journal, as long as you are noting down everything to do with your working day. Journals are also a great way to self-reflect. You can set yourself daily or weekly targets and give a description as to how you have either met or not met your goals, with ways on how you will later improve this, to ensure that you are meeting every single goal.

• Ask your employer to set you targets – Not only will asking your employer to set weekly targets help you to fulfill your role in your position at the company. It will also look highly impressive to them. Taking initiative is one of the many skills that employer’s nowadays look for, as they want to know that their employees are always seeking to better themselves and work upon any constructive advice that they may be given. You can ask employers to do this at any point throughout your internship, but it is probably best to do this at the start of your internship. Begin by establishing your areas of strength and weakness, to get an insight into what the company can then expect from you. This is also a great way to connect with your employer and build a friendly, work-appropriate relationship.

• Utilise weekly report requests – The agency that have secured my internship require us to send them weekly reports on our tasks that we have completed, any big achievements and a general overview of what our week entailed. These can then be saved and collated by yourself, which can then be compiled into a progress report that also documents a specific timescale. Not only will this provide evidence of your tasks that you have completed, but it will also show that you have been taking steps to consistently improve on the work that you do for the company.

• Ask your friends how they are keeping track of their progress – Sometimes the best ideas don’t come from Google or the internet, but from those around you. Some may have already had an idea as to how they will be compiling evidence for a progress / work placement report, meaning that they may have some advice on how to undertake this.

• Microsoft Excel – Excel is one of the most efficient ways to compile evidence into charts, tables and other visual stimulate that can look seriously impressive to employers. If you have a competency with Microsoft Excel, then use it. If you have any data that you have recorded during your placement, then creating a PowerPoint utilising such charts and table evidence, will look more aesthetically pleasing than that of a word document report.

All of these tips and tricks will help you to compile a work placement report or portfolio that will give evidence to employers about your achievements and experiences.