Week 58: Determined to get a full-time offer?

Week 58: July 5, 2025

Determined to get a full-time offer?

Andrea,

As you settle into your internship, we hope you've already begun learning a great deal and getting to know a lot of people (even virtually).

One individual who can have a profound effect (positive or negative) this summer is your mentor. You may be assigned a one-on-one mentor, or be put into a mentoring group, or be left to find a mentor on your own.

No matter what way the relationship starts, your mentor has the potential to be a very important part of your internship experience.

The 100 Week Sprint team

To-do's this week

Got 5 minutes? Brainstorm two ways you can help your mentor this summer.

Got 30 minutes? Have a 1:1 with mentor or trusted teammate and discuss what you hope to achieve this summer.

Got an hour? If your relationship with your mentor isn't working, make a plan to re-engage with him or her and seek out at least one other.

Four ways to work effectively with your mentor

Most mentors have volunteered their time to help interns like you make the most of your summer, and your career beyond. They are also looking to build great relationships - and it's up to you to drive that relationship forward. Investing in them now will improve your chance of a full-time offer and finding advocates to help you build longer-run success wherever you are.

1. Outline specific objectives: make sure you define what you're hoping to get from your mentor this summer. Do you want help meeting specific people within the company? Are you looking for feedback on your projects or access to specific resources to help as you work on it? The chance to brainstorm about potential career paths? Work through those goals with your mentor.

Read on for more specific ways you can make sure you get the most out of your experience with your summer mentor.

Four ways to fix a mentoring relationship that's off to a slow start

We occasionally hear from interns whose mentors are not all they hoped they would be. Often times, their work is too demanding to devote time to mentoring an intern; sometimes, they have been pressured into taking on the responsibility and aren't really invested in mentoring. Whatever the reason, you may find yourself not connecting with your mentor.

1. Determine whether there's really an issue: if you're feeling disconnected from your mentor, don't immediately assume that he or she isn't invested. Give it another shot by asking for a meeting at a time of your mentor's choosing where you lay out what you hope to achieve this summer. Ask what you can do to help him or her. See if you can reset your relationship to make for a more productive mentoring opportunity.

Read on for three more ideas to address the issues.

SMART MONEY MOVES WITH ERYN

JULY 17 | ZOOM

Business school is a time of uncertainty with your finances. 2015 HBS graduate and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Eryn Schultz will lead a session on managing your finances in school. The session will include guidance on borrowing for school, the mechanics of Roth IRAs, and why some students should consider a Roth conversion.

Session participants will leave with tangible ideas to manage their finances and answers to questions they didn't even know they had. You can sign up here.

You can learn more about Eryn on LinkedIn here and follow her on Instagram here.

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