- Network: An important part of any internship experience is to build your network. Building a broader network will help you establish connections with individuals who work in different business units across the company. Networking can be anything from setting up one-on-one meetings, chatting in the lunch line or even striking up conversation with someone on the shuttle bus into the office. It does not always have to be formal. Because Gartner is a growing company, our interns have a lot of opportunities to gain exposure to leadership and ask questions, as Gartner leaders are always willing to take the time to answer any questions and discuss their own career growth stories.
- Ask questions: When you join an organization as an intern, you are not expected to come with extensive experience or knowledge. Your managers and team members encourage and look for you to ask questions. It not only will help you with your work, but it shows that you are interested in learning and ensuring that you are completing your work correctly and diligently. Your internship experience will also give you the chance to work on your communication skills. Ensure that you keep open lines of communication with your manager and team early on in your internship to ensure alignment on expectations.
- Be a sponge: Absorb everything that you can from this internship, whether it be in team meetings, one on ones, phone calls or through your work with other interns or colleagues. Take every opportunity you can get in the office. You should learn as much as you possibly can — both about Gartner as a company and any roles that may or may not interest you.
- Be professional and enthusiastic: Come into work every day with a positive attitude. Dress for success in professional clothing and bring a high amount of energy to the work that you do. Be passionate about your work and know that you are making a difference!
- Set personal goals: What do you want to accomplish from this internship? Take a step back and evaluate your personal goals for the internship. Who would you like to meet? What position would you like to learn more about? Can you envision working for this organization full-time? Hold yourself accountable for the goals you set and major career milestones you might achieve during your internship.