Let’s face it — internships are no longer a nice to have. These days, they are a must before you get out there to look for full-time work. And if you’ve found your way to Urban Interns, then you already know that growing companies are the place to find internships. Becoming an intern provides you with a lot of opportunities — the opportunity to learn, to get paid or receive credit, to learn new skills, network and make professional contacts. How do you ensure that you’ll find success during your internship? Here’s a list of the top-five things to keep in mind before your even walk through the door.

1. Your Boss is Busy: The reason why your boss hired you is because they are busy and need help. That means that any and every way that you can jump in and add value is yours for the taking and will likely be appreciated. So go ahead and get in there. Here’s an example: "Hi Cari, you mentioned you have a big meeting on Friday. Is there anything that I can research for you or help you prepare for the meeting?"

2. Interning Gives You a Chance to Learn: So yes, even though your boss is busy, you have an opportunity to soak up a ton of information. But, you need to ask questions if you want to really want to maximize your experience. Try this: "Hi Lauren, do you have five minutes? I’d love to hear your thinking behind making those changes to the website."

3. An Internship Gives you a Chance to Shine: Yes, as an intern, you’re developing your skills, contacts and hopefully your bank account. But bare in mind, the give-and-take of an internship is very much a two-way street. You need to bring to the table just as much as you’re taking away. Don’t be afraid to chime in when you see opportunities or have practical strategies for moving the ball forward. "Jonah, have you heard of (fillintheblank)? It’s this great new website/product/application that I think could be really helpful to us. Do you want to set up some time for me to walk through it with you?"

4. An Internship May Be A Short Term Gig: A lot of times, college students and recent grads look for internships hoping that they’ll lead to a longer term position. And sometimes they do. Alternatively, for a variety of reasons well beyond your control, sometimes an internship is truly a short-term position. But that doesn’t mean it can’t have long term benefits. In addition to the skills you picked up, perhaps your boss will serve as a reference or make some valuable connections for you. "Hi Asher, thanks so much for the opportunity to intern for you. I understand that you don’t have a full-time position open right now, but I was hoping we could stay in touch. Perhaps down the line you’d be willing to serve as a professional reference for me or make a few introductions to people in the field?"

5. Or It May Have Long Term Potential: Business owners need good people. Period. And sometimes they’ll be open to ideas that are presented to them. So if you haven’t previously discussed ongoing employment, consider broaching the topic armed with a few potential work arrangements. "Leo, I know we haven’t talked about whether this position could develop into a full-time position, but I was hoping you’d consider it. I think I’d be very valuable to your team when it comes to X and Y, and if you’re open to it, have given some thoughts to what a more ongoing position might look like."

Keep these in mind as you travel along your internship path — we’re sure you’ll be pleased with the results.