4 valuable skills I’ve gained from my time as an intern that’ll help me long into the future

By Cameryn Dick , Events & Social Media Intern and English Literature and Business Management Student

It’s bittersweet to have now reached the half-way point as an Events & Social Media Intern for Careers, Employability & Opportunity. I’m beginning to update my CV with experiences I’ve been granted in this role and find myself reflecting on the skills I’ll take with me.

I’ve gained and refined countless skills during my internship, but these are the four that I feel have set me up for success in my future work—whatever that may be.

Taking constructive criticism well

As a third-year student, I’m certainly familiar with receiving feedback on my work, both positive and negative. However, receiving written feedback online from markers—some I’ve never even met—is different from receiving continuous, face-to-face feedback from coworkers.

There’s a degree of separation when getting criticism from a marker online as a lot of vulnerability is taken away, especially if the work is more academic than personal in nature. Much of my work as an intern is the latter category.

Initially, I faced a bit of embarrassment when getting feedback in my internship, but after realizing that this criticism was constructive and not personal, I was able to view it as an opportunity to refine my work. I’ve also found that receiving honest feedback from my managers and co-workers has built up a level of trust, and instead of shying away from criticism, I feel comfortable seeking it out as a tool to improve my work.

Independent working

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have an internship that’s extremely flexible with my university work as well as my personal life; however, it has meant that I’m responsible for my own deadlines and trusted to complete them without intervention or constant reminders from my managers.

I’ve really enjoyed this level of autonomy as it has given me a more realistic sense of a professional working environment compared to previous experiences.

Throughout the role, I’ve used the planner app Notion for creating weekly checklists to keep myself accountable and on top of both my university and internship tasks.

Verbal and written communication skills

I can’t think of any jobs where effective communication isn’t necessary which is why I’m so grateful for the huge development opportunities this internship has allowed for building this skill.

I’ve improved my verbal communication skills through daily exchanges in the office, career fairs and other large events. I’ve had the chance to interact with tons of industry professionals, including policymakers and representatives from global corporations and SMEs, both as event staff but also as a student looking to network for future opportunities.

My internship has also supported the development of my written communication skills, particularly my ability to copywrite. I’ve upskilled through LinkedIn Learning courses (free to UofG students), with "Marketing: Copywriting for Social Media" by Michaela Alexis being particularly helpful. I also participated in internal training in this area. My work has benefited a lot, and I’ve gained core transferable skills in written communication.

Not undermining my own work

As an intern, you’re aware of your semi-permanence on a team where you’re also likely to be the least experienced member; however, this doesn’t mean your contribution to the team isn’t valuable.

Although the focus in my internship is to grow my professional experiences and skills, my unique perspective as a student is always appreciated by my colleagues and never dismissed because of my more junior role. It has been important for me to remember that my age, experience and entry-level position don’t undermine the work that I’m doing nor should I allow those factors to affect the effort I dedicate to my role.

I can already see huge improvements in my work in the four months since I started my internship. The experiences and skills I’ve gained in this role have also transferred to my university work and my general approach and attitude towards any task I’m given. I can’t emphasise enough how worthwhile this internship has been for me, for both professional experience and personal growth.

Other resources

Our Internship Masterclass: Learn how to find and apply to internship opportunities in this online session

Our Internship Hub: Browse on-campus and local internship opportunities, most of which are paid

Our Internship Hub application guide: Access this Moodle for tips and tricks to a successful application to our internship programme