Tomorrow is National Intern Day; a day created to celebrate and bring awareness to the values of interns. Traditionally held on the last Thursday of July, it’s a sort of summertime thanksgiving dedicated to interns around the country.
As we wrap up the 2025 intern season, one thing is clear: today’s interns are eager to learn, ready to contribute, and hungry for clarity. Through The Right Start training and other intern-focused programs this summer, we gathered direct feedback and insights into what resonated most and what they will implement immediately.
Here are the top themes we heard loud and clear:
🎯 1. They Want to Exceed Expectations, Not Just Meet Them
Interns aren’t satisfied with checking boxes. Many left our sessions inspired to go beyond the bare minimum. From stepping up in meetings and taking initiative on projects, to defining monthly, quarterly, and annual professional goals, they’re thinking like future full-time employees.
“I felt like it was a great time spent and learned a lot about myself and where I should be headed. And really to be intentional through my career.”
🧘♀️ 2. Professional Presence Matters
Whether it’s staying calm under pressure or projecting confidence in meetings, interns are actively developing their gravitas. JB’s emphasis on communication, presence, and influence struck a chord especially for those entering a corporate setting for the first time.
“Prioritizing gravitas – remaining calm in high-pressure situations – is something I’ll apply right away.”
🤝 3. Relationship Building Is a Top Priority
Making connections across the organization came up repeatedly. Interns want specific, tactical advice on how to network authentically, especially when they don’t have an existing relationship or reason to reach out.
“The strategies and ways to approaching networking. Specifically, the questions discussed and how to navigate balancing the conversation in terms of work and personal information.”
“I thought the experience was very interactive and pushed me out of my comfort zone in a great way. I am typically a very anxious person but this allowed me to step out of my shell a little bit at a time to meet my peers.”
🧠 4. They Value Structure and Specificity
Interns thrive with clear expectations, relevant examples, and practical takeaways. This summer, we introduced tools like the “Good, Better, Best” framework to help interns set achievable professional goals (and keep track of their successes!). These resources helped interns visualize their growth, connect their daily actions to long-term impact, and build confidence in how they show up and reach out.
“I’m focused on identifying the skills I need—not just chasing promotions. I won’t fear the process of building those skills, because I trust they’re the dots that will connect me to long-term success.”
🚀 5. They’re Thinking Beyond the Internship
It’s not just about this summer. Many interns expressed curiosity about long-term career paths, how to grow within a company, and how to build a reputation that lasts. They want tools not just to succeed now, but to set themselves up for what’s next.
“This experience was incredibly inspiring and helpful as I begin a new job. It gave achievable goals for me to work on in my early days at this new company and well beyond.”
🕶️ Looking Ahead
This summer confirmed what we’ve long believed: when interns are treated like future leaders, they rise to the occasion. We’re proud to deliver intern training that blends mindset, skillset, and career readiness, and we’re already planning for an even stronger season in 2026.