The last time I was an intern was nearly 10 years ago, when I was an undergrad working in New York for a magazine and banking about $10 an hour. Now as an MBA student, I’m getting the unusual chance to reincarnate as a summer intern again, and to figure out how to make the most of what can be an excellent experience to learn and try something new.

Being an intern has some unique challenges, unlike any other form of employment, and I feel like I’ve encountered all of them anew this summer. Internships are inherently short-term, inherently temporary. You likely are not experienced or expert in whatever it is you’ll be working on. You may be quite different in terms of age or background from co-workers. The organization or your team might not be well equipped to utilize you well or visualize how you can fit into the mix. That last is a common complaint I hear from my classmates, who are also interning all over the world now: “My boss doesn’t know how to use me.”

For more, read the full blog at On Human Enterprise.