There’s no such thing as a bad question.
Especially if you’re asking your internship supervisor if there is anything else that can be done. Without question, no matter what type of internship you have, this is the most valuable question that you can ask. It is the most valuable question for the sole reason that it will ultimately lead you to a more well-rounded experience.
I come from the marketing world, yet I bet that my experiences are analogous to those of students and interns studying different fields. The marketing world is large, and comprised of many smaller subcategories – public relations, creative, social media, account planning, account management – the list goes on and on. The point is that many internship sites will likely place students on just two or so priority projects throughout the semester.
Naturally, that leaves many of the bases untouched. And while it is fantastic to have specialties in just a few select areas, it’s even better to have a well-rounded view of the entire industry. That way you can understand the inner-workings of everyone else’s jobs, and the problems and solutions they are working with.
And – you guessed it – the one sure-fire way to get to that well-rounded industry view is by asking your supervisor what else you can do. You might get assigned to some random jobs around the office, exposing you to new sides of your job that perhaps you didn’t know existed. The more you can get your hands on, the better (generally). Having these well-rounded experiences makes you all the wiser, and makes you a far more competitive job candidate for when it comes time to go for those real paying gigs. So ask away!
Zach Cole studies marketing communication at Emerson College. He has held multiple marketing, public relations, and social media internships in the Boston area. He is fascinated by the way that new media and technologies shape the world around us. An avid social media user, Zach can be found tweeting and checking-in on various location-based services just about 24/7. He is also a music critic and Associate Editor for the award-winning Potholes In My Blog. Follow Zach on twitter: @ZachACole.
