Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow: The Internship Exit Guide

Parting is such sweet sorrow, especially when it involves leaving a summer internship. Some collegiettes may be bummed to leave their exciting, electric work environment. Others, however, may be silently counting down the seconds until their last mandated “Starbucks run.”

Whether your feelings align with the former or the latter, leaving your summer internship is kind of a big deal. The time and effort you spent proving yourself to your boss and colleagues shouldn’t fall by the wayside just because you’re headed back to school. As with everything, there are proper ways to exit gracefully from your internship, while still leaving the door open for future opportunities at the company…

Out of sight, out of mind

When you see the same people every day for three months, chances are you become very close with them. The opposite thing happens when you don’t see them for the remaining nine months of the year. Your name, face, and incredible intern abilities soon become just a distant memory. Don’t let this happen! Make sure you keep in touch with your boss. Set a Google alert on the company and its competitors – and actually read the articles. Use this information to send periodic emails (“Congratulations on the merger!” “The new ad campaign in Cosmo Japan is stunning!”) that show you’re on top of your stuff. Also, reach out in December to see if you can be of help during winter break. Don’t let yourself become just another intern!

Everyone likes presents

I feel as if it looks best to bow out with a gift in tow. Think of the one person who has made your internship extra worthwhile – maybe it’s someone who’s spent time mentoring you, or perhaps, whose recommendation secured you the job. This is the person who you should give a small, yet thoughtful gift. Has your boss talked nonstop about her cravings for Jacques Torres’s dark chocolate bark? Does your supervisor have a weird thing for collecting mini elephant figurines in his office? Buy some. If you can’t think of something material to give him or her, a handwritten note is absolutely necessary and the least you can do.

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All coworkers aren’t friends…

And all coworkers DON’T want to be friends so DON’T add them on Facebook, especially if they’re older than you. The only exception is if you are one thousand percent positive that he or she would be cool with it. This means you’ve actually been out for drinks after work, text on the regular or have hung out on a non-weekday. Otherwise, there’s just no reason to be Facebook friends. Add them on LinkedIn instead.

Can’t stop, won’t stop

Congratulations, you’ve made it to your last day! Last days can be tough to maneuver. Do you keep working as hard as you can until the very moment you have to leave even though you know you’ll never see this project again? Absolutely, YES. Oftentimes, interns will goof off on their last day and spend it socializing instead of working. Don’t let that be the last impression you make at the office.

No tears

Your last day at work may be a gloomy or a joyous one. Whichever it is, don’t shed any tears of gloom or joy. Save that for the bus ride home. Most likely there will be some sort of send off party for you and the other interns. Simply smile and enjoy the cake!