EDHEC students on internships: tips for getting noticed!

The internship you are about to start in the next few days is set to be an enriching experience! 

There are several ways to approach your assignment. You can content yourself with simply carrying out what is asked of you, in which case, you will acquire some knowledge and possibly some basic managerial skills. But if you go beyond what is merely asked of you, you stand to gain a more all-round view of the business to which you are contributing. This more proactive approach can make all the difference!  

Curiosity and openness to new ideas will enable you to get the most out of a short assignment. An assignment that looks simple can give you the chance to impress if you take an all-round view that takes into account, for example, the context, the issues, the interconnectedness between departments, the consequences on the company’s day-to-day operations and the decisions that ensue. All these points enable you to show that you have understood all the aspects of your assignment and the inherent strategic dimension for the company.  

A long assignment will enable you to gain technical and managerial knowledge in a particular profession or sector of activity. Compare your experiences and remember that you are operating within the institution as one of a set of components that is geared to pursuing a certain strategy. Analyse your assignment with detachment in order to develop an all-round view. Be innovative, proactive and curious! Try to be critical and constructive in your thinking, while also retaining your innovative side: you need to perform a permanent balancing act between conforming and asserting yourself.

Make sure you behave professionally, bearing in mind that you can discuss and exchange views on plenty of things as long as you remain respectful and polite.