How to Communicate with Managers as an Intern

1:1s with your manager can be one of the most powerful levers to career growth, but a lot of engineers have no idea how to use them. Here's a few things I've seen from top engineers on my teams as a manager of 10+ years: 𝟏) 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. Many engineers fear vulnerability with their manager thinking they need to put on a show for them. The reality is your manager has a pretty good idea of where you're struggling (or they'll learn shortly!). Helping your manager to work with you on the highest leverage areas of your growth can be incredibly powerful, especially if they can see their own impact. Rewarding for them, useful to you. "I can't seem to get through to X team, I've tried A, B, and C but I feel like it's not landing. What do you think I should be doing instead?" Caveat: Be diligent about *working on those things* and following up. Having repeated conversations about the same aspect of the same problem makes it seem like you don't care enough to make changes and improve. 𝟐) 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲. Every engineer is different in how they process feedback, but all the engineers who I saw grow tremendously took feedback well. Some engineers want to haggle the details: "oh that's not _exactly_ what I said" or "it would have worked except for X". Don't do this! Feedback is always imprecise and sometimes people will mistake the symptom for the cause. That doesn't mean there's not information for you to receive! "John was caught offguard by the announcement, you should have given him a heads up" -> "But I did!" This doesn't change the fact that John was caught offguard. Own the mistake and figure out how your communications failed to achieve their intended result. Managers are humans and, if every time they give you feedback you put up a fight, they're going to give you less. 𝟑) 𝐁𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. Want to get promoted? Great. Want to work on that cool new AI feature or test drive a new language? Cool. Managers are expecting you to _want_ things and they generally are there to help you achieve them. The strongest engineers I worked with were clear to me about what they wanted and how they thought they would get there. "I'm trying to target L5 next half, I know I haven't yet landed a major project or shown enough mentorship, so my plan is to double down on X and pick up an intern. What do you think I'm missing? Can you help me get an intern this summer?" Career planning is a lot of work, and even great managers have limited time. If you're showing your manager exactly what you want and demonstrating you've put in the effort to try to get there, they are *significantly* more likely to fine-tune and sponsor your approach than if you required them to build it from scratch. Take the initiative!

Our best interns have always done this unexpected thing: They ask A TON of questions up front. They don’t pretend to understand the task. They don’t nod their way through the kickoff meeting. They dig in early, clarify every detail, and make sure nothing is lost in translation. Yes, it’s annoying for me. It's annoying for us. It can take 30 minutes to explain a very simple request. But the outcome is worth it. Once they’re clear on the goal, they go deep. They read articles, test hypotheses, and break their code repeatedly. The worst interns? The "yes, I got it" crew. Hint: They don't got it. They spend hours going in circles, asking scattered questions, and making slow progress. They disrupt the team making everyone lose focus on their tasks as they are hammered with questions repeatedly for a week. As a manager, I’d rather answer 15 questions in the first 30 minutes than have someone interrupt my team repeatedly for a week straight. If you’re starting an internship, do this: - Get 100% clarity on the task. Take notes. - Do not leave your manager’s desk until you truly understand the assignment, even if it makes you feel stupid. - Get to work. - If you get stuck or have more questions, do not ask immediately. Be patient. Build a list and get them answered all at once. No one expects you to know everything. We don’t know everything. But showing that you know how to learn and work effectively is invaluable. #internships

How do you stand out as an intern without sacrificing yourself in the process? Someone asked me this question and I remember how I felt this time last year as I was preparing to start my summer internship at a large tech company. Internship season is right around the corner and it's completely normal to feel equally excited and nervous.  Looking back, being intentional and having a clear strategy made a big difference in my experience and played a key role in receiving a full-time return offer. Here are 3️⃣ tips to stand out and get the most out of your internship: First and foremost, your top priority during the internship should always be your projects and deliverables. The quality of your work is one of the most important ways to stand out and make a strong impression. Don't neglect the primary reason you are here. 1️⃣ Observe and Understand Dynamics Within the Company During your first few weeks, focus on watching and listening. 👀 Pay attention to how people communicate, collaborate, and interact, including unspoken norms. 👀 Identify people who can offer valuable insights and advocate for your growth and success. 2️⃣ Build a Strong Relationship with Your Manager Your direct manager has a major impact on your internship experience, including the possibility of getting a return offer or securing future opportunities at the company. ✅ Schedule regular 1:1 check-ins to ensure ongoing and frequent communication. ✅ Ask for feedback early and consistently. It gives you the chance to improve, make adjustments, and show that you’re eager to learn and grow. ✅ Don’t hesitate to share your professional goals and build a genuine connection beyond just the tasks or projects you completed. 3️⃣ Take Initiative and Be Engaged To stand out, you need to be visible and proactive. 🚀 Speak up in meetings. Your ideas and questions matter. 🚀 Attend intern events and get involved in company/site-wide initiatives. 🚀 Network and build relationships beyond your immediate team. Some Final Words of Wisdom: ➜ Stay true to yourself and stand firm in your values. Don’t feel pressured to engage in conversations or activities that make you uncomfortable just to fit in or stand out. ➜ Check in with yourself regularly. Ask yourself: How am I feeling? What’s going well? What needs to change? Self-awareness is key to a fulfilling internship. ➜ Set clear boundaries. Work hard and take initiative, but don’t push yourself to the point of burnout. Let the quality of your work speak for itself.  At the end of the day, your internship is a learning opportunity. It’s designed to help you grow, develop new skills, and gain clarity about your career path. It’s easy to feel like everything is riding on this one experience, but remember: what’s meant for you will not pass you. Focus on what you can control, try your best, and trust that the rest will fall into place. #summerinternship #internshiptips