First Capital REIT’s Post

Interns and managers of interns — check out these tips from New York Life to make the most of your experience this summer. What additional advice do you have for interns and for their managers? #SummerInternship #TeamNYL

It’s that time of year when businesses start thinking about summer help. Could you use an intern this summer? Here are several things you need to consider before bringing on your first intern.

Our summer intern is quickly learning the ins and outs of the business!!

United Kingdom

Do Great Things

I loved this post from Asya Sharrow, and I think it's a great thought-exercise: Which early rejection are you most thankful for? For me, it was probably being rejected from the University of Michigan's Creative Writing Program (now called the Helen Zell Writers’ Program) back in ~2000. Being a fiction writer was my greatest ambition at the time. Not only did I have a great deal of passion for writing, but I also had a VERY, VERY high opinion of my abilities. (Yes, even back then!) I thought the application packet I submitted was going to blow everyone's wigs off, guaranteed. Except it didn't. And being labeled "not good enough" made me rethink...everything. Certainly my career path, but also my ability to self-evaluate. I'm not going to lie. It really hurt at first. But it also forced me to get creative about how I wanted to apply my talents and interests. After I got the rejection letter, I decided to re-focus on working for The Michigan Daily and exploring opportunities in journalism. That led to a madcap five-year run in the world of New York magazine publishing, and then seven years in online media — all of which gave me the skills I needed to transition to content marketing, a profession that has made me feel truly successful for the first time in my life. Now, what if I was one of the chosen few that got picked for U of M's Creative Writing Program? What if I'd gotten accepted, instead of rejected? I really don't know. Maybe I would have developed the skills and confidence to eke out a living as a semi-obscure fiction writer who publishes something every few years and never sells enough books to pay back my advance (or pay off my MFA loans), who has to supplement my passion through teaching creative writing, even though I was never a fan of being in classrooms in the first place. And that's a *best-case* scenario for most people who go through these programs. As a working artist, I would have continued to build my life on rejection letters and acceptance letters — a terrible way to live. My early rejection felt like a steel door slamming shut on one pathway in my life. But there were so many other pathways in front of me! I just didn't see them at first. Once I found them, the rest of my life began.

Internship opportunities

This week, I had the pleasure of talking with Campbell's summer intern class alongside Rebecca Gardy, IRC and Julia Anderson. Speaking about my own career journey, I shared a few pieces of advice with our interns as they begin to navigate their careers. ◼️ Embrace risks and take "left turns": Career paths are rarely linear. I took several “left turns” in my career. Every “left turn” I’ve taken has been a valuable learning opportunity and chance for growth. Don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone, be bold and take risks! ◼️ Seek out a mentor: Finding a mentor – someone who knows you and your career goals - can be one of the most impactful steps in your professional journey. A mentor can be a great sounding board for career twists and turns. They can offer crucial insights, guidance and connections to help you grow. ◼️ Make it a habit to ask questions: Be curious about how things work, your colleagues and how to make things better. Curiosity breeds curiosity! It was an incredible experience to speak with these bright young professionals - we’re lucky to have them!

Read my latest article on Medium. 3 Lessons About Success I Learned From Our Summer Interns. "The more creative you are about developing, positioning, and delivering your product or service, the more you will stand out from the competition." https://lnkd.in/e8y_4yqB

First internship programme that I have seen that delivers so much to young people preparing for the world of work. The video from TelevisaUnivision shows interns getting first hand experience of working in a large, fast paced organisation. I think it's a great example of what successful internship programmes look like. Do you know of any similar programmes in UK businesses? #employeeengagement #motivation #learninganddevelopment