Orientation and supervision
Ensure that you undergo orientation and receive supervision for your duties. For example, lunch meetings with the traineeship supervisor can be a good way to ensure regular contact. The supervisor is a professional in his or her field, so make sure that you benefit from the opportunity to receive advice and guidance.
Learn new things
During your traineeship, pay attention to the objectives you defined beforehand. Evaluate and reflect on the development of your competence as the traineeship progresses.
Make every possible use of your employment. During the traineeship, you have the opportunity to learn about the qualification requirements of the profession, your own strengths and areas in need of development as well as the operations of the employer organisation. Be curious, active and responsible, take initiative and tackle your duties with an open mind.
The traineeship is an excellent opportunity to acquire generic career skills. Seek situations which require you to give a presentation in front of others, work in groups or solve problems. Step outside your comfort zone and take tolerable risks. Success is not the only path towards learning – failure and coping with failure are also valuable experiences.
Build networks
Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the traineeship to build networks. Establish contacts at the work place and with partners that you meet through work. Networking builds relationships, the goal being to obtain and share knowledge and engage in cooperation. Do your best to participate in meetings and events where you have the opportunity to get to know different people.
Take responsibility for the success of your traineeship
During the traineeship, make sure that your duties are those agreed beforehand. If this is not the case, do not be afraid to raise the issue with your supervisor in good time. Be open about your wishes relating to your duties and your needs for supervision. This way you can contribute to the successful completion of your traineeship. In problematic situations, contact the traineeship coordinator at the university. The traineeships team at Career Services can be contacted for advice in problematic situations at traineeships@helsinki.fi.
TIP: Write down the feedback you receive during the traineeship! This can prove useful when searching for a job and reflecting on your strengths. In job interviews, the prospective employer may also ask about your qualities as an employee, how your colleagues have described you, or what kind of feedback you have received in your previous employment.