How to Make the Most of a Summer Internship: How to Handle Feedback

This article is sponsored by Goldman Sachs.

If you’re just starting out in the professional world, dealing with feedback might seem a bit intimidating. As former Goldman Sachs interns, Serrena and Jeremy know all about how to take that feedback and put it to use effectively. A 2012 Yale graduate, Serrena majored in applied math and had four internships (three of them at Goldman Sachs!) before landing a full-time job with the company. She currently works in equity trading in the Securities division. A former economics major who graduated from the University of Michigan, Jeremy interned at Goldman Sachs the summer after his junior year. He currently holds a position in Operations.

In the third part of this three-part series, Serrena and Jeremy offer advice on how to handle feedback like a pro.

Feedback is so crucially important to your overall success not only in an internship but throughout your career. For many people, a corporate internship is the first time they’re really receiving that kind of developmental feedback. How was that experience for you?

Jeremy: I think it’s important to try to be as receptive as possible. For me, it was my first time ever receiving professional feedback so I didn’t really know how to react to it. When you do get that feedback for the first time, to try to take it in and digest it. Then a day or two later, develop some action points to help you really grow and become more effective at your job.

Serrena: Even more importantly, nail that follow up. When you meet them again in one or two weeks, say, “You said I should work on this. This is what I’ve been trying to do, following on from that. What do you think now?”

Would you share some of the developmental feedback you received during the internships, to give us a real-life example?

Jeremy: One piece of feedback I got on my very first review was that I said the word “cool” too much to senior audiences. The takeaway after I had digested that was to really focus on my audience and to use more professional diction when I was addressing a senior audience as opposed to fellow interns or more junior members of the team.

Serrena: When I got my first feedback at Goldman, I was 19, I’d never worked in a corporate environment, I’d barely even worn a suit before. I got technical feedback like, “Phrase your market view a little differently or work on this project this way.” But what really stuck out to me was the person who told me to “Just relax.” Their point was that I was sitting on the desk trying to talk about markets and about everything I knew about different sets of asset classes, when people really want someone who they can sit next to for 8-10 hours a day and form a personal connection with. They can both work with you and think you’re smart, and also chat about the weekend or their kids’ Little League game.

To learn more about current Goldman Sachs internship opportunities, explore the full list of positions on WayUp.

For more advice from Serrena and Jeremy, check out “Preparing for Your First Day” and “How to Differentiate Yourself as an Intern.“