How to Collaborate With Your Fellow Interns

By Christine Ascher on September 8, 2017

Having an internship typically means a lot of work; in addition to trying to keep up with all of your responsibilities, you’ll probably also want to go above and beyond so as to stand out to your employers. The more you can impress them, the more you’ll increase your chances of getting a great reference or even being asked back for a job.

One way of ensuring success — and of making the job more fun in the process — is through your fellow interns. Collaborating with them on projects is a great way to share your ideas and to come up with new ones collectively, that can benefit all of you. To get the most out of these relationships, try out these tips for working together.

Image via https://www.pexels.com

Be open

If you’re trying to impress your boss by standing apart from your fellow interns, you might be tempted to do so by distancing yourself in an attempt to protect your own ideas and to be able to take full credit for them.

However, an important part of succeeding in your internship will come from how well you’re able to work with others. You’ll actually be more likely to do well if you’re open to collaboration with the other interns at your company. Especially in the business world, it’s essential to be able to work well in a group, as this will allow you to expand and build upon your own ideas.

In addition to the practical benefits that collaboration will bring you, it will also show your supervisors that you’re a fun person to work with — which will make them more likely to give you a good reference, or even to offer you a job once your internship is over. Avoid being overly protective of your work, and open yourself up to feedback from other interns in order to enjoy these benefits.

Listen

While it’s always good to share your ideas, as this will allow you to receive feedback on them, you should also make sure that you spend at least as much time listening to the thoughts and input of your fellow interns. In addition to allowing others the time to speak, listening to them discuss their own ideas may lead you to further develop yours. It’s a great way to collaborate and brainstorm, as hearing what others are thinking can bring about some new notions of your own.

It will also make the other interns feel like they are appreciated among your group, which will have the general benefit of fostering a good group atmosphere. The more you listen and learn from others, the more comfortable your group will be when collaborating. Remember also to keep an open mind; even if you don’t agree with your fellow interns, give their ideas a fair chance rather than dismissing them right off the bat.

Ask for input

Even if you’re working on a project individually, it’s okay to ask for feedback from your fellow interns — it might even be encouraged. Considering they’re in the same position as you, you can ask other interns for their opinions and advice without the pressure that comes with communicating with your boss or supervisor.

While you may be better off talking with your supervisor about bigger issues — for instance, if you’re confused about a given task and don’t know what to do — your fellow interns are a great resource when you’re looking for general feedback or just want to bounce around some ideas. They can give you some suggestions or supplement your own thoughts — and, of course, you can reciprocate by offering feedback on their projects.

Talk work during your lunch breaks

Make use of the extra time during your day by using your lunch breaks as a chance to talk with your fellow interns about projects and swap ideas. You might find that you don’t normally have time during the day to talk with your coworkers, but you can take advantage of any smaller breaks by using them to talk about the projects and tasks that you’ve been working on.

The fact that you’re willing to go above and beyond in this way will impress your supervisors, and you’ll probably come up with some new ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Pair off for projects

If bigger groups aren’t exactly your thing, try pairing off with other interns to collaborate. In a smaller group or pair, you’ll have more time to share your own ideas and to offer feedback. As a result, this will be a big benefit for both you and for your partner. You can also have some brainstorming sessions between the two of you; though you won’t necessarily have as many people to throw in their ideas, you’ll have more time to develop your thoughts and expand on them more thoroughly.

Going into an internship, you may think that your biggest resource will be your boss and the other permanent employees at your company. While you will no doubt be able to learn a lot from them, be careful not to overlook another readily available resource: the other interns that you’ll be working with.

While they — like you — may not have much experience, they’ll be just as open to learning and growing from the internship experience. For all of you to make the most of it, take advantage of any opportunities to work together, and you’ll all be able to benefit.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format