“Do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium!” (Pope St. John Paul II).

Starting an internship represents a significant milestone in your journey as a Catholic woman in business. It is an opportunity to gain practical experience and learn how to integrate your Catholic faith into the fabric of your career.

Let’s explore some strategies designed to elevate your internship experience by fostering personal growth, professional excellence, and a deeper connection to your faith.

Cultivating a Legacy Mindset

Your role as an intern involves much more than simply completing daily tasks. A legacy mindset will help you look beyond the immediate tasks at hand and think about the long-term impact of your work and presence within the organization. This mindset pushes you to align your actions and projects with your Catholic values, making every action, no matter how small, contribute to a lasting legacy.

Start your internship by setting a purpose-driven goal to make a tangible difference in your team or industry. In this way, you can set a solid foundation for your experience that is not only successful but meaningful.

Examen at Work

Integrating an Examen into my daily routine has been transformative, offering a new perspective on my workday.

This Ignatian practice of reflective prayer invites you to pause and discern God's presence in your day, helping you find comfort and purpose even amid challenges like self-doubt or anxiety about the future. By acknowledging where you’ve witnessed God’s guidance or presence throughout your day, you gain clarity and motivation, helping you align your actions with the broader mission you aim to serve. This prayer can significantly enhance your internship experience, turning routine tasks into spiritual growth and professional development opportunities.

Spiritual Mentorship

In the often complex and secular landscape of the business world, holding onto your values is essential. Finding a spiritual mentor who embodies faith and professionalism can offer guidance and wisdom, serving as a good model for navigating your career without compromising your beliefs.

Engaging with employee affinity groups, such as Catholic networks that meet for a Rosary, Mass, and fellowship, provides a sense of community and belonging, valuable networking opportunities, potential mentorship, and inspiration from fellow Catholics who have navigated similar paths.

Ownership

Taking full responsibility and ownership of your projects is essential during your internship. Taking an owner mindset means committing to excellence and being proactive, resourceful, and resilient. This approach helps you anticipate needs, creatively face challenges, and seek innovative solutions. Demonstrating this mindset makes you stand out and paves the way for success beyond your internship.

Telling Your Story

You’ll often be asked to “tell me about yourself.” This question is an opportunity for you to share your experiences, challenges, and successes in a way that resonates with others. Storytelling is a tool for personal branding and provides insight into your character and values. It’s important to remember that people are interested in knowing the person behind the role, and compellingly sharing your story can help you create a lasting impression.

Before your internship begins, map out the journey you want to share. Focus on moments of vulnerability or significant turning points to make your story more memorable. These stories are typically relatable and memorable, enhancing your personal and professional identity.

Design Thinking for Problem-Solving

Design thinking is a human-centered and creative approach to problem-solving focused on understanding people’s needs through empathy, logic, and creativity to craft effective solutions. As a Catholic woman in business, you are well-positioned to excel in design thinking, which combines your insight and empathy with the innovative capacity of your feminine genius. By listening closely and observing, you can harness your gifts to generate ideas that genuinely meet the needs of others. Design thinking is a natural extension of your feminine genius.

As you step into your internship, remember that it is an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a career that not only achieves professional success but also reflects your Catholic values.

Natasha Lovely is the Founder of Aspen & Oliva, a premier personal branding agency, and Founder of Catholic Daughter, a ministry that equips women to conquer the 4th commandment. Driven by an entrepreneurial and creative spirit, she purposefully integrates her expertise as a clinical therapist and storytelling marketer to guide women to architect, refine, and master an iconic personal brand that effortlessly transcends into all areas of their lives - professional and personal. Her work with individuals and Fortune 50 companies to develop talent has led to her positioning as an authority on personal branding, an expert in leadership development, and a champion of the multi-hyphenate woman. Through her passion for business, Natasha has propelled her mission to inspire women to design a life of beauty, champion all things good and true, and guide them to become thought-leaders in their fields. You can connect with Natasha through Instagram, LinkedIn, or natashalucia.com.