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Writing Your Final Internship

Report
Before you begin writing your final internship report,

1. review what you had written in the


interim internship report,

2. consider the purpose of the final


internship report and the audience.
PURPOSE
What is your report about, and what is it for?
By now, you should have a clear idea of what you have learnt in
your internship, and at the same time, how the company you
interned at has benefited from your contributions.

Through this 2,500 to 3,000-word report, you could be


• Providing an archival record of the internship experience
• Reflecting on the professional aspects of the internship
experience and the skills that were learned
• Reflecting on the initial goals of the internship and how they
were (or were not) achieved during the internship
PURPOSE
What is your report about, and what is it for?

As the report has a


few sections, you
should craft each
section to meet the
intended purpose
of the report.
AUDIENCE
Who are you writing for?
• Who is going to read this report and why?
• What decisions may arise because of this
report?

Knowing your audience will help you determine


the depth of content, and the style and tone you
should use to present yourself as a credible
writer.
Understanding The
Requirements
Of The Final
Internship Report
Final Internship Report Key report sections
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Work Experiences
3. Challenges & Action Plans
4. Learning Experiences
5. Achievements
6. Conclusion
7. References
8. Appendices (where applicable)
Final Internship Report Acknowledgement
“I can no other answer make but thanks,

and thanks,
and ever thanks…”
- Shakespeare
Make a list of the people from SUTD or the internship
company who have helped you on your internship
journey.
Write a brief note of thanks to acknowledge how they
have contributed to your successful completion of your
internship.
Final Internship Report Acknowledgement
Include, in order of priority,

• Full name and designation of


individuals who are being thanked

• Name of group/department and


company

• A brief statement as to what kind


of help you have received from
each individual or group of people
Final Internship Report Executive Summary
The executive summary provides an
overview or synopsis of a report,
summarising the essential parts by outlining
the following information:
• the purpose of the report
• the key points made in the report,
pertaining to
o what you have
done/learnt/experienced, and
o the conclusion drawn
Final Internship Report Executive Summary
Example
This final internship report records the work done at (name
of company) between the period of (date-to date, year).
Apart for the summary of the interim internship report
submitted at the end of the first six weeks of my
attachment, this report also …

Provide a statement or two to summarise


each section of the report, focusing on
highlights that make the report an interesting
read.

Briefly state what kind of references and


appendices are provided and the purpose of
providing such.
Final Internship Report Introduction
In not more than two or three short
paragraphs, summarise key information
presented in the interim report, from the
sections on
• Work Experiences, and
• Challenges & Action Plans.

This will give the reader the background to the


current report.
Final Internship Report Introduction
Example
1. Introduction
Highlight what you
Attached to (name of company) since (date- have learnt and
key work
to date, year), in the first six weeks of my experiences in the
first six weeks
internship, I acquired skills in … . I was Describe how
assigned to … . Some of the challenges faced the challenges
were overcome
during that period … The experiences of the Create a link
between the
first six weeks prepared me for the work experiences of
expected of me during the rest of the the first six
weeks with the
internship period, as I continued performing experiences of
the rest of the
the tasks I was assigned. At the same time, I internship
period.
was given new responsibilities.
Final Internship Report Work Experiences
• Describe the key responsibilities, assignments, or
research undertaken since the interim report. Any
link between what was done in the first six weeks
and subsequently must be made explicit.
• Explain the tasks in detail, and
• Elaborate on how your effort and contribution
have an overall impact on the organisation or the
department.

You should organise your work experiences into


appropriate sub-sections. It is not necessary to
maintain strict chronological order.
Final Internship Report Work Experience
Example
2. Work Experiences
Following from the first six weeks of my
internship, I continued with the following job
functions: updating of User Manuals; cold
calling; preparing and presenting a live demo. I
was also assigned new ad hoc tasks that added
to my skills set.
Focus on
2.1 Updating user manual describing new
2.2 Cold calling developments,
description of
2.3 Preparing and presenting a live demo new skills
acquired, or
2.4 Ad hoc tasks deepening of
existing skills sets
Final Internship Report Challenges & Action Plans
Challenges may arise from the work experience, or
from the work environment. They are learning
opportunities, and this section of writing should be
more analytical and reflective.
Consider carefully what impression you want to
give your reader (AUDIENCE).
Final Internship Report Challenges & Action Plans
If in your interim report you had proposed an action plan
for overcoming a challenge, begin this section by first
summarising the challenge and the action plan, then
describing the outcome and effectiveness of your action
plan.
Example
A challenge I faced at the start of my internship was my
lack of advance knowledge in materials and structures in
the development of a real product. I realised that I could
not just rely on what I already knew to get the job done,
but had to firstly, uncover for myself more advanced
topics, and secondly, go beyond learning for exams to
understanding how the knowledge can be applied to real-
world problems. Through this, I was finally able to
generate a feasible idea which was ‘elegant’ enough to be
developed for testing.
Final Internship Report Challenges & Action Plans
Example
What qualities do you think this intern has displayed?
A challenge I faced at the start of my
internship was my lack of advance
knowledge in materials and structures
in the development of a real product. I
realised that I could not just rely on
what I already knew to get the job
done, but had to firstly, uncover for
myself more advanced topics, and
secondly, go beyond learning for
exams to understanding how the
knowledge can be applied to real-
world problems. Through this, I was
finally able to generate a feasible idea
which was ‘elegant’ enough to be
developed for testing.
Final Internship Report Challenges & Action Plans
Any challenges faced after the interim report need to be
described in the following manner:
i. give specific details of the challenge and
ii. explain clearly why it was challenging.
iii. describe how the challenge was overcome.

If the challenge was not overcome, explain why not and


suggest a future course of action, if appropriate.
Final Internship Report Learning Experiences
a) Knowledge acquired:
Think through the entire internship journey and
describe the knowledge gained through the
internship, and relate this knowledge to what was
taught and learned from the pillar and courses.

Example
In school, we learnt to draw free body diagrams, but in _
Company, I learnt to use free body diagrams, and this is in
essence what I see as the crux of an ‘engineering approach’.
While I might have learnt about this ‘engineering approach’
in school, it was in this internship that I really knew what it
meant to use it on my accord, and not when the teacher
told me to.
Final Internship Report Learning Experiences
b) Skills learned:
Describe the skills and any career-specific abilities
that were gained during the internship. The skills can
be technical or non-technical skills. Example of
technical skills include: programming skills (C++, Java,
Python, Revit, AutoCAD etc). Example of non-
technical skills could include analyzing of problem,
working in teams or presentation skills.
Example
Initially, when doing cold calls, I rushed through whatever I wanted to
say to whoever picked up the phone, before he or she could hang up on
me. Subsequently, I learnt a technique for cold call, which was to call
and immediately ask to speak with a specific person without first
identifying myself. This ensured that I reached out to relevant people,
which made my calls more effective.
Final Internship Report Learning Experiences
c) Observed attitudes and gained values:
Describe the manners, mindsets or values that are
important, during the internship, for a successful
career (e.g. Accountability, Honesty, Integrity,
Empathy, Teamwork, etc.).
Example
Philips Lighting showcases extraordinary teamwork; although
there are several divisions of lightings, there is no hesitation
in helping each other achieve their respective targets.
Frequent hall meetings are also held to highlight and share
challenges and accomplishments. Philips is such a big family,
with both regional and local teams, but all members of this
family have time and devotion for one another. These are
definitely values that I want to uphold in my future career.
Final Internship Report Learning Experiences
Incorporating reflection
It is important to incorporate some reflection into
your description of learning experiences.
Review the examples provided, and identify the
reflective statements made.
In school, we learnt to draw free body diagrams, but in _
Company, I learnt to use free body diagrams, and this is in
essence what I see as the crux of an ‘engineering approach’.
While I might have learnt about this ‘engineering approach’
in school, it was in this internship that I really knew what it
meant to use it on my accord, and not when the teacher
told me to.
Final Internship Report Learning Experiences
Incorporating reflection
Review the examples provided, and identify the
reflective statements made.
Initially, when doing cold calls, I rushed through whatever I wanted to say
to whoever picked up the phone, before he or she could hang up on me.
Subsequently, I learnt a technique for cold call, which was to call and
immediately ask to speak with a specific person without first identifying
myself. This ensured that I reached out to relevant people, which made
my calls more effective.

Philips Lighting showcases extraordinary teamwork; although there are


several divisions of lightings, there is no hesitation in helping each other
achieve their respective targets. Frequent hall meetings are also held to
highlight and share challenges and accomplishments. Philips is such a big
family, with both regional and local teams, but all members of this family
have time and devotion for one another. These are definitely values that I
want to uphold in my future career.
Final Internship Report Achievements
List quantifiable achievements you have had
during your 16-week internship.
Examples
• A proposal that has been accepted at higher levels in the
organisation
• A website that has been launched
• Conducted market research that contributed significantly
to the final product design
• A design concept that will be adopted

Although there may not be any measurable outcome at the end of your
internship, any work that has led to a tangible or visible outcome that is
accepted or adopted by the organisation may be considered an
achievement.
Final Internship Report Conclusion
Summarize the overall experience in the internship,
keeping in mind the tasks performed and the learning
experience.
What you could include
• Highlight the key learning points described in the report
• Briefly explain how the internship has impacted you
• Describe how you would apply the knowledge and skills
acquired through this experience in the near future
• Suggest how the internship experience can be improved,
but be sensitive and have realistic expectations
• Evaluate the value of this internship experience
A report is a technical
document and not a
Referencing
Style Guide
personal essay. As such,
Closing Matters

it should follow the Style Guide


norms of report writing,

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so that the contents are
readily accessible to the Click to find
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audience, who may be
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different disciplines.
“Writing is a process,
a journey into memory and the soul.”
- Isabel Allende

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