Summer of Tech

Source: https://summeroftech.co.nz/blog/opportunity-knocks/

Opportunity Knocks (and what to do if it doesn’t)
Posted on January 19, 2016 by Ruth
As the mid-point for Summer of Tech 2015/16 internships zooms by, it’s worth reflecting on how we’re tracking with our goals for the summer.  At the beginning of summer, we spoke to many interns about the opportunities they were looking forward to – to learn heaps, to try a role & organisation out to see if it fits, to publish some code, to get stuck into learning new UX skills, to impress employers and turn internships into permanent jobs…

How are those going for you?

We’ve had great reports of code being shipped…

…and I know of 6 (yes, SIX!!) interns who have already been offered permanent roles or contract extensions beyond their summer internship!!! That is awesome work, folks!

But enough of the cheeriness. What do you do if everything’s not quite going to plan? As an intern, you might not want to rock the boat, your mentor or wider team might seem busy, so here’s some tips on how to approach the situation if your internship isn’t working out as well as you’d hoped:

Bored? Not enough work? Not challenged?

let your mentor and team-mates know you’re ready for more
ask for feedback on what you’ve already done
actively seek out new tasks and projects, offer to help!
ask to sit in or observe other teams in action
spend down-time reviewing, re-iterating, reading, practising, testing, up-skilling
if the opportunity doesn’t knock, you might have to go looking for it & create your own! Make the most of your summer internship, there’s ALWAYS something to learn or contribute to, it just might not be immediately obvious.

Swamped? Too much work? 

technical challenge? Review the training and support material you’ve been given, and spend a bit of time trying to solve your problem via online forums if possible
ask for help if you’re challenged, explain what you’ve done and how you THINK you should approach it
overwhelmed? Ask for help with prioritisation if you don’t know where to start. Again, explain your planned approach, and ask for feedback and suggestions from a more experienced team member
talk to your mentor about re-scoping the project if you feel their expectations are out of sync with your abilities to deliver over the summer
it’s better for everyone if you ask for support early. It could be something that’s solved quickly, or your project might need to be re-scoped.

Not using all your skills?

make sure you’re delivering on the core project they’ve set for you first!
if you’ve got more to offer, let them know! Offer to observe or assist, make suggestions, and listen/observe to make sure you’re on the right track with what they’re after
check with your mentor if it’s ok to work on a demo project in some other area of work, alongside your main project
this is a great way to show your value beyond the single role they’ve hired you for. There’s potential to move sideways and it’s always good try out another type of role while you have the opportunity
I’ve tried all that, maybe this is just not a good fit for me 🙁

if you’ve tried everything and it’s just not working, then get in touch with the Summer of Tech team.
Remember, everyone’s measure of success will be different.

sana's not fired

For all these and anything else that’s bugging you, the best thing to do is talk it through with someone. The NZ tech community is (99% of the time!) a welcoming and supportive place.  Try your mentor, or a friendly colleague. Talk to us here at Summer of Tech, too – we can help, and/or we can connect you to another intern or an independent mentor-y type person who can help you with whatever situation you’re in.  We have been running this programme for 10 years now, and have helped a lot of interns through challenges – give us a shout!