The benefits of collaborating with a returning intern

by Kaitlyn Dickson

Starting a new internship can be intimidating. Within the first few days, there are new people, work tactics and software systems to become familiar with, and there are bound to be questions that come up as you start taking on projects. That’s where having a returning intern by your side can make the process less intimidating.

Taylor Rouse, a marketing intern at Charles Aris, started in January and extended her internship for the summer. When I joined the team in May for my marketing internship, she was there to guide me alongside the rest of the team.

Here are a few reasons why working with a returning intern is so helpful:

They have been where you are now. With virtual training so common in modern internships, it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed during your first days on the job. However, when I spoke with Taylor, she helped assure me that everything will soon become familiar with time and practice. The same was true for my immersion into Charles Aris culture. Since Taylor had already adjusted, I looked to her as an example for how to engage with other team members.

You have one more team member to ask for help. New interns are bound to have questions during their first projects, and having another team member around to review them, especially one who has done similar work, is a great way to ensure success. When I began working on my first newsletter, I asked Taylor if she could review the graphic design and layout. It was reassuring to hear her thoughts before sending it to the rest of the team for review.

Intern collaboration supports the entire team. Instead of sitting through hours of tutorials, I was able to complete my training by working with Taylor on real projects. This type of training process exposed me to what I would be doing in detail and allowed the other team members to work on their own projects while I practiced my skills. I was able to quickly jump into my work with a trusted teammate by my side and gain experience early on.

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Having a returning intern close by made my transition into Charles Aris efficient and helped me find comfort, knowledge and confidence early on. If your organization runs its own internship program, one of the best ways to optimize the experience is to layer internship periods so that new hires can learn directly from their peers.