Internships are often painted as mere stepping stones—a brief chapter before “real” work begins.
But ask any former intern, and you’ll see: these months carry the power to shape careers, confidence, and sense of belonging.
Yet, what makes an internship truly transformative?
In this article, you’ll hear firsthand from voices who’ve lived it, sharing what they wish their companies understood: connection matters, growth needs support, and inclusion isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s essential.
Their insights offer a blueprint for turning internships from ticking-off tasks into launching pads for potential.
Read on!
I wish more companies held structured opportunities for interns to build connections, whether that is with other interns, school alumni at the company, or higher-level employees, to create a community where everyone feels heard and a strong sense of belonging.
For me, team lunches have been very helpful. I always sat next to someone new every day, and by doing so, I was able to form authentic relationships as I learned about my peers’ interests outside of work. During my remote internships, in-person meetups where possible, typically in the bigger cities, and virtual office hours have offered me similar bonding experiences.
“Speed networking” during onboarding, where all the interns have the opportunity to quickly chat with others in the company, has been another game-changer. From day one, the ice was broken, and it was much easier to feel known and included in the company, much like my experience joining college clubs.
Having weekly guest speakers, especially former interns who have found career success, has also been deeply inspiring and a great addition to have in the program. It gave all the interns the chance to learn from now-experts once in their position and also a glance at the possibilities post-internship.
What truly elevated my intern experience were anonymous weekly feedback forms, a chance for interns to share what was and was not working well about the internship in terms of mentorship, culture, and workload. This way, it was evident to all the interns that the company valued and respected our opinions and inputs, and it was easy for them to make any adjustments to suit our needs, which I highly appreciated.
About Beverlyn Tsai
Beverlyn Tsai is a rising sophomore and a Presidential and Viterbi Scholar at the University of Southern California majoring in Computer Science and Business Administration with an AI Applications minor. She co-leads AthenaHacks, Southern California’s premier women-centric hackathon, supports corporate outreach for the Society of Women Engineers as an officer, and works as a Learning Assistant for an AI programming course. At USC Information Sciences Institute’s HUMANS Lab in the AI Department, Beverlyn leverages GPT-4o and OpenCV to detect AI images and identify superspreaders, and she applies web scraping, tweetNLP, and the Mann-Whitney U test to analyze emotional sentiment in AI versus non-AI political image tweets, research crucial to understand how AI-generated political media influences public opinion, trust, and election integrity.
I wish companies knew that moving to a new place for an internship, even just for the summer, can be scary! Programs and activities that help interns explore the area, meet friends close by, and get settled in their new city are essential.
This is especially true for interns who are from communities that are smaller, far-away, or close knit. To support diverse engineers, it’s also to provide diverse kinds of support, including guidance on moving to a new place.
About Madeline Gupta
Madeline Gupta is a recent graduate from Yale University where she studied how digital tools can increase community wellness around the globe. Her most recent projects are a virtual reality video game focused on land re-creation for her tribal nation, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and a statistical exploration into how large language models can contribute to Indigenous language education and preservation.This fall, she is starting as a software engineer at Google. She has worked as an intern at Zillow, Apple, and Kode with Klossy and her work has previously been featured by TEDx, NBC, and the United Nations.
Allow your interns to grow, but also allow them to fail sometimes. Mistakes aren’t signs of incompetence, but rather they’re signs that someone is learning, stretching, and doing something they haven’t done before. Especially for interns who are stepping into their first industry role, patience is key. They’re probably navigating a professional environment for the first time, and they’re most likely working on projects that are way more complex than anything they’ve done in school or on their own. Bumps in the road are normal as they’re part of the process. As an experienced employee, it’s your job to help them succeed, not expect them to have everything figured out from day one.
When assigning projects, be realistic about scope and timeline. For instance, don’t give them a 6-month project and expect them to finish in 10 weeks; rather, give them something meaningful, but achievable.
I’m currently mentoring an intern, and it reinforced how important mentorship really is for a successful experience. As a mentor, don’t only provide technical or career development or project guidance. Treat your intern like a full member of the team through checking in with them (e.g. 1:1 with your interns), making sure they’re adjusting okay. The gap between an academic environment and industrial environment is way more significant than most people acknowledge.
Also, while school tends to put a lot of emphasis on technical skills, make space for soft skill development as well such as communication, teamwork, and navigating feedback. Many interns will be neurodivergent or don’t fit the usual mold of what’s considered “professional.” Thus, the way they navigate communication, teamwork, and receiving feedback may not fit the “norm” or “expectation.” Check in and figure out what actually helps them succeed. Not everyone thrives under the same expectations, and sometimes, leaning into a person’s strengths (even if they’re not conventional) is what unlocks their best work.
Finally, don’t forget to encourage your interns to have a life outside of work, company lunches and happy hours. Encourage exploring the city, hanging out with friends, or even taking time for themselves. Many interns come straight from a hectic academic year, and may need time to decompress as well. Burnout is not just exclusive to full-time employees. Creating balance and reminding them that rest is part of success and achieving their best performance as possible makes the whole experience healthier and more sustainable as well.
About Angela Cao
Angela Cao is a Rewriting the Code (RTC) member based in Houston and a data scientist at Memorial Hermann Health Systems, where she leads high-impact AI and analytics projects to drive data-informed decisions in healthcare. She also holds a Masters of Data Science from Rice University and double Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin. Angela is also a co-founder and board member of Women Who Do Data (W2D2) since its inception in 2024, where she leads initiatives to support and advance women and underrepresented minorities in Data and AI.
One valuable insight I’ve gained through my internship experiences is the importance of making expectations and workplace norms transparent and accessible to interns from day one.
Often, much of what shapes the day-to-day culture, like communication styles, decision-making approaches, and unwritten “rules,” remains unspoken, which can create unnecessary confusion or hesitation for new team members.
I believe companies can improve their internship programs by documenting these key expectations in a clear, approachable guide or handbook tailored specifically for interns. This not only levels the playing field but also empowers interns to contribute confidently and feel truly integrated into the team.
Creating an environment where open dialogue is encouraged around these norms further supports learning and growth, helping interns navigate the nuances of professional culture while focusing on delivering impact.
Ultimately, a little clarity and intentional communication can turn an internship from just a learning opportunity into a truly enriching experience for everyone involved.
About Monica Para
Monica Para is a tech content creator and an early career member of Rewriting The Code. She is very passionate about diversity and sharing accessible resources in the tech and startup sectors. Her project, ChiMaps, is an AI-powered map that highlights startup and venture capital firms across the Chicago tech ecosystem. She aims to make tech more inclusive and navigable for all through content, community, and data-driven tools.
From my experience, the best internship programs are the ones where you’re trusted with meaningful work, not just small tasks to pass the time.
Having a mentor or someone to check in with regularly made me feel supported and helped me learn so much faster.
I also really valued when companies gave interns the chance to meet people from other teams. This opened my eyes to roles and paths I hadn’t considered.
Feeling included and knowing my input mattered, even as an intern, made a huge difference in my confidence and internship experience.
Companies should focus on creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for their interns.
About Chahana Dahal
Chahana Dahal is a Computer Science graduate with a Data Science minor from Westminster University, where she completed her degree in just three years. She was selected for the Google Computer Science Research Mentorship Program (CSRMP), which started her research journey in AI/ML. Her work on knowledge graph completion with RelatE is under review for NeurIPS 2025, and she is currently developing a Federated RAG framework using large language models. She also presented her independently proposed AI-powered education framework at AAAI 2024 and previously served as a Machine Learning Engineer at Omdena, contributing to adaptive AI tutors for refugee education. She plans to begin her graduate degree in ML in fall 2025.
If there’s one thread weaving these stories together, it’s this: internships aren’t just about what’s learned; they’re about what’s felt.
Structure, trust, honest feedback, and meaningful connection are the pillars that turn a temporary opportunity into a lasting impact.
As companies look to shape their next wave of talent, listening to these voices won’t just improve internship programs; it will help build workplaces where everyone, intern or executive, truly belongs.
The future of work is crafted bell by bell, lunch by lunch, check-in by check-in.
What will your legacy be for the next intern who walks through your door?
The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.
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