10 tips for how to make a big impact at your internship this summer:
Adjusting to life in the startup and VC fast lane is a shock. Everyone is resource-strapped, time-poor, and the expectations to perform are high.
These are the 10 things you need to learn if you want to make a real impact as an intern or associate this summer (especially if you have no clue what you’re doing):
1. Act like an owner - remember that startups and VCs are cash-poor, equity-rich.
2. Be a storyteller - frame and craft the narrative you want people to hear.
3. Manage yourself, up, and down - additional resources are great but can be a burden. Learn to manage yourself, your boss, and your peers.
4. Be urgent, don’t rush - always show you’re taking things seriously, deliver timely, but don’t make mistakes.
5. Ask for forgiveness, not permission - initiative and not having to be asked to do something goes a long way. Anticipate the needs of your team.
6. Be resourceful - Google and your network are your best friends. Start there first.
7. Never ask the same question twice - if you need to, show progress, critical thinking, and frame it a different way.
8. Solutions, not problems - even if you’re not sure it’s right, come with proposed solutions to ANY problem you’re surfacing.
9. Don’t get set up to fail - get crystal clear on what the expectations are and the final product you’re delivering.
10. People treat you the way you let them treat you - confidence is key. Fake it until you make it.
Hiring and coaching an intern has been one of the BEST uses of our time and resources this summer for HSR Ventures, and our superstar Jaclyn Kolbert is an example to follow.
#nationalinternday #startup #vc #careerdevelopment
