Take summer internships as learning opportunities

Over the summer, several students interned at the company I work for. Although I was never officially an intern, I did have some temporary jobs. I wanted to take on as many tasks as possible and make an impact. Despite numerous requests, I was given mostly small or simple tasks.

As a full-time employee, I now understand why it felt like I was given insignificant tasks. Full-time staff are under pressure to deliver results, and often don't have time to brief interns. Whenever possible, I try to split my workload with them so that they can learn from it. But sometimes I am too busy to assign tasks or explain complicated projects.

Nevertheless, interns should be proactive when it comes to taking responsibility. Take initiative and show enthusiasm, even if this means helping with simple, routine and repetitive tasks. When full-time staff realise that these tasks have been completed successfully, they will assign more substantial tasks.