I regularly teach an internship course for undergraduate students, and over the years I have often asked them to provide me with advice for future interns. That is, I ask them to share the things that they’ve figured out by the end of their internship experience that they wish they had known when they started. Here’s a compilation of some of that advice:

• Be self-motivated. Don’t wait until you’re asked to do a task; look for things that need to be done and volunteer to do them.
• Collaborate with and befriend other employees.
• Have fun.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Be open to advice. Recognize that you don’t know everything right off the bat and that advice can help you improve your skills.
• Be prepared. Learn as much as you can about the organization before you start.
• Manage your time so that you can meet your deadlines.
• Be proficient with software. If you have to learn something new, ask for any help that you need while it’s still early in the experience.
• Be considerate of other people’s responsibilities and deadlines.
• Stay focused and do your job.
• Don’t expect anybody to pick up your slack.
• Try to impress your boss.
• Get involved with the  work of the organization as much as possible.
• Have an open mind.
• Be ready to do all the tasks, even the ones that aren’t “glamorous.”
• The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
• Jump right into things and be aggressive about what you want out of it.
• Talk to professionals in the field you are working with to learn the language and procedures of the organization.
• Be up front about your strengths and weaknesses.
• Let them know what you want to do, but be willing to do other things.