How Do I "Craft" My Internship?

What is the most important part about securing that elusive summer internship?

• Meaningfully standing out in a sea of resumes?

• Networking your way into qualified conversations?

• Navigating multiple rounds of virtual and in-person interviews?

• Successfully “connecting” with a hiring executive via videoconference?

None of the above. Believe it or not, the easy part is securing the valuable internship.

What is much more important is what you do with that internship opportunity to have the greatest impact for yourself, your team and the overall organization.

Often times interns get frustrated or disappointed that the work that they are doing seems menial or isn't teaching them everything they want to learn. Instead of being disappointed, an intern must take responsibility for their own outcomes. They have to craft the internship experience to achieve their desired results.

What would it mean to “craft” the internship that you’re in?

As you pursue that elusive summer internship or your first dream job out of college, think about how you are going to craft the experience in such a way that your tasks are less of a chore and more of a valuable opportunity.

First, there is task crafting, which involves altering the type, scope, sequence, and number of tasks that make up your job. Next, you can relationally craft your job by altering whom you interact with in your work. Finally, there is cognitive crafting, where you modify the way you interpret the tasks and/or work you’re doing.

Harvard Business Review

Before you allow yourself to complain about your role or responsibilities, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What are the boundaries of this activity?
   

2. How can I overdeliver on expectations on this task whether it feels large or small?
   

3. Will this practice increase the likelihood of my individual and organizational success?

How important is having a positive mindset?

The notion of “job crafting” in its simplest form is based on the idea that a positive mindset can dramatically change how you experience your job.

Work as a means of economic survival is a very real necessity for many, but that is not the differentiated factor that drives anyone’s job satisfaction. Ultimately, your mindset makes a huge impact in terms of finding meaning in your work.

On a recent webinar focused on the Pursuit of Happiness, The Wharton School’s Amy Wrzensniewski shared that in her study of hospital janitors they experienced very painful things in their roles. How participants approach their roles had a profound impact on job satisfaction. In the hands of thoughtful managers, employees can understand how their role is critical to the organization or institution. These self-appointed brand ambassadors satisfied their job descriptions and exceeded expectations in a manner that is more fulfilling to the people’s humanity at work.

Though there are obviously times you should quit a terrible job, the impulse to always look for the perfect career situation rather than try to find ways to thrive in your current one and connect with the value of the work you already do.

Inc. Magazine

Sky’s the limit even as you start your career. Use the internship experience or first job out of college as a springboard to the impact you aspire in your life and career.

Differentiate your role to drive your happiness. Performance and results will closely follow.

Who knows, this may even help you find your “professional home” for the longer term.