How to End Your Summer Internship on a Good Note

Congratulations on making it through your summer internship! While most of your work is done, in this post we give you some tips on how to wrap it up on a good note. Your boss’s last impression of you is as important as the first!

Tie Up Any Loose Ends

Make sure all your projects are in good order and you have completed all your assignments. If it is looking like you won’t be able to finish all your assignments, it is better to communicate with your boss and tell them rather than just letting the clock run out. Being thorough and on top of your assignments all the way to the end of your internship will leave a great impression!

Think About Work References

You were amazing enough to get the internship, you came and did great work, and now you are leaving soon. How will your next employers ever know about the great work you did? References! Always be thinking ahead to next summer and if there is someone in the office that can write you a very nice recommendation. Ask them now and have that reference ready to go when it is time to apply to places for next summer.

Get Permission For Writing Samples

Although you may have written several things this summer, you still need permission to use them as writing samples. Think about your best pieces and what pieces you think your next employers would enjoy reading in your application. Once you have identified the pieces you are going to use in the future, ask your boss for permission to use them! In many cases you are required to, and even if you’re not, it’s a great courtesy to your employers.

Network, Network, Network

Your boss is probably the person you know best at the office, but hopefully, you have met many others. There is such a diversity of experience in any professional environment, and that means there are diverse connections to be made. Get emails, business cards, and phone numbers. Connect on LinkedIn. Take advantage of being surrounded by professionals that can either give you opportunities down the road or connect you to someone who can! If you need tips on networking, check out this post.

Give Thanks

Don’t leave as the stuck up intern! Always be thankful of the opportunities you were given this summer. Sincerely thanking those that helped you this summer is an essential part of ending on a good note. Everyone will remember your appreciation and feel you really valued your summer internship.

You worked hard this summer! Don’t leave a bad impression on the last week of your internship. Tying up loose ends, thinking ahead, networking, and giving thanks are important parts of finishing an internship. Make the most of your internship up to the last day, take a break, and then get ready for the next semester of law school!

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And check out these helpful posts:

• Get Personal: Why You Should Be Socializing at Your Summer Clerkship
• How to Evaluate Your Summer Legal Job Experience
• Writing Effectively in Your Summer Legal Job
• Making the Most of Your Summer