We can be blinded by the shiny title of being the newest intern at a glamorous luxury brand. But the name does not make the internship. Some of the least satisfying internship experiences have occurred at the biggest names in the industry. While that’s not true for all, you need to know what it is that makes up a valuable and educational internship program. So, here you go!

Get in the know

First things first, you want to have a firm understanding of what it is you will be doing on a daily basis. There is a big learning curve between high pressure Starbucks runs and collaborating on a pretty press release. Remember: an internship is a supplemental education where you should learn priceless skills from early immersion in the work world. Knowing exactly what an internship entails will ensure you’re choosing a position that benefits both parties.

Be trained

After you know what it is you will be doing, you should be taught how to do it. Duh! What value is there in spending hours trying to decipher the inner workings of a software platform that you’ll ultimately mess up? In a well-developed internship program, your supervisor will sit down with you one-on-one and teach you the essential skills to fulfill the position as well as provide you with a list of tasks that need to be performed. Hence, a learning experience.

Your professor in a cubicle

While you don’t want to be demeaningly babysat, a good internship program will have a coordinator that is there to supervise. They should available to answer questions and provide feedback. Think of them as your professor in a cubicle. Being left alone and confused by monotonous downtime is a red flag.