If “Ride of the Valkyries” is your professional theme song, then you’ll excel in your development internship. Being at the front lines of a company’s growth calls for drive and a strategic finesse: your internship in development requires a clear understanding of how your company’s product or service surpasses that of the competition, and who to target to make those benefits known. The most successful development interns come to the role with a combination of initiative, creativity, and analytical skill. You’ll conduct market analysis to target potential clients, members, or donors; build databases that track these new relationships; and identify areas for product development. Hone your customer service skills—they’ll be crucial from the outreach stage, through the onboarding or enrollment process, and beyond. Interns in development may also represent the company at industry events, an exciting opportunity to grow your network and business prospects. This won’t be a one –man or –woman operation. A development intern works alongside the marketing, customer service, business operations, and product development teams. Thanks to this cross-departmental work, you’ll pick up skills that contribute value to any organization. Whether your passion is to support real estate acquisitions or locate donors for an arts nonprofit, you’re on your way to a thriving development career.