Back in 2015, I was a third-year college student stepping into my first internship. It feels like a lifetime ago. Since then, I’ve moved through my career and worked with plenty of interns along the way, some of whom have left an indelible mark with their exceptional performance.
As the season for internship applications approaches, I thought it would be valuable to share some insights on how to make the most of your internship and truly stand out.
What Does “Success” Look Like?
Success in an internship can mean different things depending on who you ask. For some, it’s about learning as much as possible. For others, it’s landing a full-time job offer at the end. Or maybe it’s walking away with a solid recommendation letter. All of these are valid, and I’d say pick what matters most to you.
In this post, though, I’m going to focus on one goal: getting a strong recommendation letter. I’ve written one myself for an intern I mentored—he used it as part of his application to get into a top-10 computer science graduate program in the US.
My letter might have played a small part in his success, but honestly, the experience he gained and put on his resume likely made a bigger difference. That’s the kind of outcome we’re aiming for here: a recommendation letter that supports you, paired with real achievements that stand out after an internship.
To achieve so, you can’t just be good. You have to stand out. You need to exceed expectations—not just meet them. Let’s break down what that looks like.
Exceeding Expectations: What It Really Means
First, let’s talk about the basics. Meeting expectations as an intern means doing what’s asked of you. You’re given a task—like fixing a bug or writing some code—and you get it done on time. It’s straightforward: show up, follow instructions, and don’t mess up. That’s fine. It’s a start.
But exceeding expectations? That’s where things get interesting. It’s about acting like you’re more than an intern. It’s about taking charge, even when no one’s asking you to. For example, don’t just finish a task and call it a day—follow up to make sure it actually makes a difference.
A simple “Hey, I’d like to check in on this!” can go a long way. People are busy. They get swamped with tasks or Slack messages. If you don’t hear back, don’t sit there waiting—ping them again. It shows you care about the impact, not just the checklist.
Then there’s over-delivering. I worked with an intern at Money Forward who was a total standout. He spotted a problem with redundant computation in our CI pipeline—something that was costing us money to run. He didn’t just flag it; he dug in and fixed it, which led to significant cost savings for the company.
That’s not intern-level work. That’s what I’d expect from a senior engineer with years of experience. But he didn’t let his title hold him back. That’s the point: the sky’s the limit if you’re willing to push yourself.
It’s all about how you behave. If you treat yourself like “just an intern,” others will too. But if you behave like a solid engineer—proactively contributing and taking responsibility—people will start to see you as one. In the case of that superstar intern, I stopped thinking of him as an intern after a while. He was simply a valuable member of the team.
Master Your Domain and Tools
Next, let's talk abou two important things at work - domain and tools.
At a basic level, an intern is expected to be familiar with the tools and programming languages relevant to the role. For example, if you’re working in software development, you should know the programming languages used in the project, such as Python or TypeScript. You should be comfortable using the integrated development environment (IDE) and other essential tools, like Git for version control.
This is the foundation. Without it, you’ll struggle to complete your tasks effectively.
But the great interns go further. Take that same standout intern from Money Forward I worked with. Our team builds accounting software, so he didn’t just code—he joined study groups to learn accounting concepts. He sat in on customer interviews to hear their problems firsthand. He even helped resolve customer inquiry issues. This gave him a holistic understanding of the product and its users, allowing him to make more informed decisions and contributions.
On the tools side, the intern I worked with at Money Forward was a coding wizard. He didn’t just know programming languages—he knew the shortcuts, the quirks, the whole ecosystem. He could write code fast because he wasn’t hunting for commands. And he leaned hard into AI tools, like coding agents, to boost his work. His productivity wasn’t just intern-level; it was better than some junior engineers I’ve seen. That’s what “exceeding expectation” looks like.
Feedback: Ask for It, Act on It
The last topic I want to cover in this article is asking for feedback and act on it.
Feedback is a gift, especially for interns. It helps you understand your strengths and areas for improvement. In my past experience, I’ve noticed that interns who didn’t eventually receive return offers often had one thing in common: they didn’t ask for feedback. Without feedback, it’s hard to know how you’re doing or how you can improve. Some interns ask for feedback but fail to act on it, which also limits their growth.
To truly excel, you should actively solicit feedback. Don’t wait for your supervisor to give you feedback—ask for it regularly. For example, after completing a task, you might say, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on how I can improve this.” This shows that you’re eager to learn and grow.
More importantly, take the feedback to heart and work on it. Then, show tangible results that reflect the changes you’ve made. For instance, if you receive feedback on improving your code quality, make a conscious effort to write cleaner, more efficient code in your next task. When you submit it, you could say, “I incorporated your feedback on code readability—let me know if this is better.”
As an intern, you’re often evaluated on your potential as much as your current skills. By seeking feedback and showing that you can grow from it, you demonstrate that you have the capacity to continue developing—a key trait that employers and recommenders look for.
Closing Thoughts
To sum up, if you want to have a successful internship—one that culminates in a strong recommendation letter for graduate school or a return offer—you need to exceed expectations. This means:
- Being proactive, taking ownership, and over-delivering on your tasks to deliver impact beyond an intern’s typical scope.
- Gaining a deep understanding of your domain and mastering the tools at your disposal to operate effectively and efficiently.
- Actively seeking and addressing feedback to demonstrate your potential for growth.
However, to achieve all this, you need the right environment—one that encourages interns to go above and beyond, provides the necessary tools, and fosters a culture of feedback and support. If you’re looking for such an environment, I believe Money Forward is a great fit.
We have upcoming internship info sessions in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Feel free to join us and learn more about the opportunities we offer:
- Tokyo Info Session https://moneyforward.connpass.com/event/341079/
- Kyoto Info Session https://moneyforward.connpass.com/event/345105/
- Osaka Info Session https://moneyforward.connpass.com/event/344596/
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