As a former intern myself, I understand the excitement and challenges of coming into a company like Publicis Sapient for a short period of time and wanting to make a mark. It can be overwhelming as you meet so many new people, learn how to apply the skills you’ve learned in the classroom to client projects and get a glimpse into life after graduation.
Here are 3 ways to make an impact and be impacted by your internship experience:
- Take initiative and be proactive. Don't hesitate to ask questions, seek guidance and actively participate in discussions throughout the project and internship, whether it’s project-specific or general career questions. Be curious and show a genuine interest in learning; there are no stupid questions!
- Embrace collaboration. Engage with your fellow interns and coaches, leverage their expertise and contribute your unique perspectives. Collaboration and communication foster growth and innovation and help highlight everyone’s strengths.
- Network and build relationships. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with people from different teams and departments, even if they’re not involved in the internship program. Attend company events, join communities and try to make meaningful connections while you’re here. These connections could support you in your future career.
Your internship experiences are more important than you may realize. Not only will you learn so much on the technical side, but it can also open future mentorship opportunities for you.
For example, I got to serve as an engineering coach for the Summer 2022 interns. I brought a unique coaching perspective because I was in their shoes just a few years before, participating in the same program and facing similar challenges and opportunities.
My role as an engineering coach was to provide guidance to the interns as they worked on their projects. I helped them with technical issues and provided feedback on their code and architecture decisions. Although we had daily check-ins to ensure progress and to promptly address any blockers, they actively reached out to me whenever they required help and were very understanding of my client commitments throughout.
The impact of their project was significant. It involved developing a complex data marketplace system that enabled users within a financial organization to securely and transparently discover, buy and sell data. Ultimately, we were able to leverage some of the ideas in our team and client conversations.
My support and guidance hopefully provided them with the confidence and skills needed to successfully complete their project, in addition to preparing them for professional life after university.
One of the highlights of the experience for me was seeing the interns grow and develop their skills over the course of the project, both professionally and personally. It was rewarding to see them tackle complex problems and come up with innovative solutions as a team in such a short period of time.
Learn more about the Publicis Sapient internship experience.
