Whether you’re at the end of your second year as an undergraduate or completing the practical component of an MBA, summer internships are a key part of gaining experience – and perhaps even a job. Here’s how to make the most of your time in the office:

1. Know what to expect.
Research what your internship will involve before you sign up. “We have a few – very few – cases of people who spent their time making photocopies. That’s not very rewarding,” says Laura Renoldi, the associate director for skills development and coaching at the London Business School.

2. Make the most of it.
Farzana Ramji, a product manager at Google, did an internship at the internet company last summer as part of her MBA. “We got to have lunch with senior managers who had a lot of expertise and I met people who were not just working in my group but across the company,” she says. This helps interns to understand other areas of the company that they may wish to work in later.

3. Define success.
“Set your objectives before you start the internship,” Ramji says. Equally, you need to understand what the company considers successful and work out how to achieve it. Don’t take on too much; doing one project very well is better than a dozen rush jobs.

4. Know your place.
“You don’t want to come across as arrogant. Don’t think that you know it all fresh from university or business school,” Renoldi says. “Show a desire to learn, to do a good job and to work with a team.”

5. Put yourself about a bit.
“You have to be seen inside the organisation,” Renoldi says. “Start with your immediate colleagues, talk to them and ask them to introduce you to other people in the organisation.” And remember that networking isn’t just a way to get a permanent job – it’s the first step to doing that job well. “Getting to know different people and different functions is crucial for a manager,” Ramji says.

6. Make friends.
Networking isn’t just about meeting bigwigs. “It’s as important, if not more so, to network with your fellow interns,” says Sajaad Jetha, director of the Smarty Train, a graduate recruitment advisory firm. “They are high achievers; wherever they go, they will remain wonderful people to know professionally.”

7. Ask questions.
No one expects you to know all the answers. “We don’t expect interns to have a perfect knowledge of how to do an audit; we expect them to come in and learn,” says Richard Jordan, the head of employer brand at Ernst & Young. “Internship gives you the opportunity to ask questions they [recruiters] would not expect grads to ask,” Jetha says.

8. Use your initiative.
“No one will say, ‘Do you want to do this?’ You have to think for yourself. Companies that are entrepreneurial will respect that,” Ramji says. “It’s not just about doing what you are asked, it’s about taking risks so that you can stand out.” However, some firms like their interns to steer clear of risks, so be careful.

9. Appraisal runs both ways.
“It’s not just the company trying to find out if you’re the right person for them. You have to think if it’s the right company for you,” Ramji says.

10. Stay in touch.
This is part of ongoing networking, obviously. It also does no harm to show your employer that you were grateful for the time that you spent as an intern.

Facts and figures

Three-quarters of recruiters surveyed by the Association of Graduate Recruiters take paid interns or placement students; the average pay is £1,200 per month.
Of those surveyed, 46 per cent converted up to 20 per cent of their interns into permanent employees; more than 30 per cent gave between 21 per cent and 60 per cent of interns a full-time job; and more than 22 per cent hired between 61 per cent and all of their interns permanently.
Nearly three-quarters took on interns over the summer or during holidays; 22 per cent offered six-month programmes; and 58 per cent offered 12-month placements.

Source: The AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2007

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