Monitoring Internship Progress

Summer 2025 interns: Follow this piece of advice to make your internship life easier in the long run. I promise you'll thank me! If you haven't done so already, starting today...document your summer experience as you go. It doesn't matter how you do it. A laptop document, a phone app, a good ol' fashioned planner/notebook. What matters is writing all the information down as you’re producing it or taking it in, rather than trying to reflect an entire summer in August or September. 1. Keep track of what you do. Your duties & responsibilities, your accomplishments, etc. Pay attention to quantifiable details. For example, if you create social media content - how many posts, how much increased engagement (numbers or percentages). Logging these details now will make updating your resume and LinkedIn profile easier at summer's end. 2. Take notes during career conversations. Bring a notebook to every meeting, with questions prepared and enough room to write down answers and the additional information you learn. Being able to reference these specific topics in the followup thank you email (sent 24-48 hours after your meeting) adds a personal touch. Additionally, you’re going to learn a lot from many different people that you’ll want to easily reference in the future. 3. Write down "the nuggets." Tidbits you hear during a staff meeting, presentation, career conversation, or anywhere. A nugget is anything that makes you think, pause, ponder, reflect, engage or even just laugh. One of my colleagues writes on her iPhone Notes app any phrases she hears that resonate with her, whether shared by someone in conversation or offered in a presentation. Great example of nuggets! 3. Snap pics and videos. Visual documents are as helpful as written ones. If you’re assisting in putting together an event, take pics before, during and after the program. Is your internship taking place in a different city or country? Capture sites outside of the office, too! 4. Share your experience. LinkedIn is perfect for doing so. I love seeing students celebrating their internships throughout the summer with stories and accompanying photos. Others put together a website or portfolio that they can share with an audience. So don’t delay, start your internship tracking today.  You’re welcome! 🙂

Here’s ONE thing I’ve been doing during my internship that’s helping me CONNECT the dots between what I’m doing now and landing a RETURN offer (hopefully 🤞): 📝 I started keeping a daily journal of what I’ve been doing and why I’m doing it. Not like a “dear diary” thing. Just 5–10 minutes at the end of the day to write: - What tasks I worked on - Who I collaborated with - What problem it solved (or contributed to 😔) What I didn’t understand at first — and how I figured it out It sounds simple, but this habit is already changing how I approach my internship. Here’s what it’s been helping me with so far: 🔍 1. It makes me more intentional at work When I know I’m going to reflect on my work, I ask better questions in real time: “Why are we doing this?” → instead of just “How do I do this?” “How does this affect the user/team?” → instead of “Is this right?” That small mindset shift makes me show up more like a full-time teammate than just “the intern.” 🧠 2. It helps me actually remember things The first week felt like drinking from a firehose. Names, tools, acronyms, tickets — all a blur. Now, because I’m writing things down: I don’t have to re-ask the same questions I have a personal cheat sheet of what I’ve learned I’m already building stories for resume bullets or interviews 📈 3. It helps me see my own progress Some days feel like I didn’t do much. But when I flip back through my notes, I realize: “Oh, wait. I solved a weird bug, got unblocked faster, or finally figured out how to use that internal tool.” Those small wins stack up — and help me stay motivated, even on quiet days. It’s easy to let the days blur together during an internship, especially when you're just trying to stay afloat. But this one small habit is helping me: ✔ Build self-awareness ✔ Track my value ✔ And prep for that mid-internship check-in or return offer convo without scrambling If you're interning (or have before), curious to hear: What’s one habit you wish you started earlier? 👇 Drop it below — I’m always trying to level up.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a handful of coffee chats—some with professionals, others with interns and students currently navigating their internships. One question kept coming up: What can I do to secure a return offer? I’ve been there, and I know how much that question weighs on your mind, especially as you hit the midpoint or start thinking about how to wrap up strong. When I interned at AWS, a few intentional moves helped me turn that experience into a return offer. 1. Get clear on expectations Have a direct conversation with your manager about what success looks like. Set goals, schedule midpoint check-ins with mentor, manager and work backwards from a clear plan. 2. Track your progress Keep a running doc of what you’re working on, who you meet, feedback you receive, and lessons learned. This helps with final presentations, and reflection. 3. Ask for feedback early and often Don’t wait for your exit review. Ask what’s going well and what to improve while you still have time to act on it. It shows committed to growing and gives you time to make real adjustments. 4. Stay organized and manage your time It’s easy to get disorganized towards the end of your internship and you start to lose track. Use a system that works for you—calendar, task list, Notion, etc. Stay on top of your work so nothing slips through the cracks. 5. Be proactive and add value Say yes to new opportunities and look for ways to contribute beyond your project. Leading a task, supporting a teammate, organizing a team building activity. Just be intentional—impact > quantity. 6. Build meaningful connections Network with people outside your team. Schedule coffee chats, quick intros, staying after meetings to ask questions. This all counts, follow up, and stay curious. These relationships often outlast the internship itself, they can become mentors, advocates or even friends. 7. Show your growth, not just results Speak up in meetings, and reflect on how you’ve grow not just what you’ve done. Let your team see your progress in real time. How have you adapted what you’ve learned? Growth over time is just as valuable as the final results. 8. Work on both technical and soft skills Yes - master the tools, write clean code, build the dashboard. But, also practice communication, time management, collaboration, and self-awareness. These skills will set you apart. 9. Build your personal brand on LinkedIn Connect with the people you meet. Share what you’re learning, showcase your journey. A thoughtful presence can leave a lasting impression and open doors. 10. Keep your resume updated Make weekly updates to your resume, write down your wins and impact while it’s happening. This saves time later and keeps your achievements accurate. Finishing strong isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It means being thoughtful, consistent, and intentional with how you show up. Let me know which of these help and share your own tip.

Have you started scheduling monthly 1 on 1 check ins with your graduates/ interns?🤔 If the answer is no...lets make 2024 the year we prioritize our graduate's development. So why are monthly 1 on 1 check ins so important? Because this is your opportunity as their line manager to provide constructive feedback in terms of how they are progressing with their work performance and development. In the last post I spoke about how to prep for your graduate's 1st week in your team, now its time for you to follow up on some of the points you have discussed in your first session. ✔️It essential you both track their development using their training programme. ✔️This will make it easy for you to decide if your graduate requires to spend more time doing a specific task- remember the goal is for them to develop their technical capability. ✔️Using a logbook is a great way to track their develop and progress ❗Also use this session to check in on their wellbeing I usually use this meter with my graduates: What colour are you checking in? 🟢Green- All is good, great mood energy, no complaints 🟡Amber-I am coping but do has some struggles (this could be a cry for support) 🔴Red- I am not doing well at all- I need your help (please intervene and probe here) ✅Secondly this is your opportunity to check in with them in terms of what has worked well for them during this month? 🚫Challenges experienced or experiencing and coach them on problem solving aspect on how to tackle the issue on hand. Next its time for you to provide feedback on how they performed their monthly work tasks using the 🥪sandwich approach: 1️⃣ Step 1: Start with a positive praise on something they did well👏🏾 2️⃣ Step 2: Now its time for the negative feedback (constructive feedback) ❗You do not make it personal, nor do you place labels but rather you speak on the behaviour observed , ask them if they agree with the feedback? And then you brainstorm with them on how they can do better next time or do things differently to prevent XYZ from happening again. ❗Negative feedback not delivered constructively will dampen your graduate’s confidence and belief in their capability. Rather focus on their potential and make this session a positive experience and a learning experience for them NB: You coach them throughout the entire process! 3️⃣ Step 3: Finish off with a positive praise. ⭐What you need to do is continuously interact and engage with your graduates and be open with them, you will see that having these conversations becomes more easier with time and practice. There you have it my ultimate guide to helping leaders become better line managers to their graduates 😉 Olwethu M- "I am in the business of transforming ambitious graduates into thriving professionals!"

Track these 3 P’s during your internship: Projects People  Performance Internships go by in a flash. You’re learning fast, juggling new tasks, and absorbing information nonstop. This makes it easy to forget all that you did. So take 5 minutes each week to track these: (Use the prompts below as a guide, but feel free to go beyond them.) Projects • What did I work on or finish this week? • What tools, skills, or software did I use? • What impact did I make (metrics, outcomes, results)? People • Who did I meet or collaborate with for the first time? • Who offered advice, mentorship, or support? • Who do I want to follow up with or stay connected to? Performance • What feedback (positive or constructive) did I receive? • What actions or behaviors led to that feedback? • What strengths or skill gaps are starting to emerge? (You won’t list feedback or growth areas on your resume, but tracking them now helps you build a focused development plan for the semester ahead.) — Internships teach you a lot in the moment. But the real impact shows up later in stronger resumes, deeper connections, and clearer areas for growth. Track it now. Leverage it later.

Successful, Immersive Summer Internship 📢 THE INTERNS ARE HERE! 📢 Here at AstraZeneca and around the globe, as summer interns join your teams, it’s crucial for HIRING MANAGERS to recognize the unique needs of early-career talent, particularly with today’s mix of onsite, hybrid, and remote arrangements. One caution: leaving students to work alone with no meaningful interaction or guidance can diminish their experience and limit the value they bring. While varied logistics may make ongoing support challenging, your regular presence, whether in-person or virtual, is essential. Be available to answer ad hoc questions, explain the "why" behind tasks, and ensure interns gain the insights and context needed for real learning. To help you create an impactful and immersive intern experience, focus on these three critical objectives with actionable tools to support upskilling and empower interns to articulate their experience and impact: ⛱️ 1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations Start with SMART goals, using digital tools like Trello, Asana, or Microsoft Planner for transparent tracking of projects and deliverables. Encourage students to maintain a weekly progress journal or online portfolio to document milestones and challenges. This continuous documentation not only guides their daily work but also provides concrete evidence of growth, useful in end-of-internship reviews and future job applications. 🕶️ 2. Provide Immersive, Hands-On Projects Assign interns to authentic, meaningful work connected to team priorities. Supplement their assignments with access to LinkedIn Learning or Coursera courses to address specific skill gaps. Encourage a mid-program presentation or demo session where interns share their progress, lessons learned, and the value their work brings, helping them refine their communication and presentation skills. 🌞 3. Foster Mentorship and Open Communication Pair each intern with a dedicated mentor and facilitate regular check-ins using communication platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack. Use structured feedback tools and schedule reflection sessions. Teach interns to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to explicitly capture and describe their experiences, preparing them to confidently articulate their achievements in reports, presentations, and interviews. By intentionally focusing on these objectives and staying engaged throughout the internship, you’ll help students upskill, stay motivated, and clearly communicate their contributions, ensuring a rewarding experience for both interns and your organization. #InternshipSuccess #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #AZEarlyTalent #amAZingSummer2025 #PEOPLEMANAGERSOFINTERNS #RareandRewardingAXSummer2025