From January to April 2026, I spent my internship implementing websites, ERP systems, and collaborating with employees and interns alike—experiences that made me reflect on how I approach work and interpersonal communication.
Giving good feedback is difficult, especially at work. General statements such as "You're doing great, keep it up!" only serve to boost a person's self-esteem. What you want your feedback to do is incite the person to change (for the better). It's also a continuous process happening within the workplace.
Giving good feedback requires you to do three things:
- Pay attention: observe their approach to work, their attitude, and how they communicate their thoughts and findings.
- Be specific: pinpoint what's wrong about their approach such as missing details, inefficient workflows, etc.
- Communicate clearly: tell them about what you noticed and how your feedback can help them.
My company, Kapwa Marketing, provides feedback to each of us interns every month. It consists of two parts: a quantitative section measuring our traits from 1 to 5 and a qualitative section for writing additional comments. Below's a portion of a comment from my feedback form last February:
While independence is a strength, improving communication and collaboration with colleagues will help create a more efficient and cohesive work environment.
Overall, good job so far, keep being proactive, professional, and open to teamwork.
The first month on the job, my tasks were mostly siloed to myself. I did talk to my colleagues about their life in general but work collaboration was very limited. As we got comfortable, our managers and supervisors gave us tasks that require team work. We would communicate everyday, back and forth, on what tasks were in progress, what roadblocks were encountered and whether they are finished both on time and with the quality our managers expect.
As I approach the end of my internship, I was exposed enough to learn the importance of getting help even if you can do it on your own. That can get the work done faster. It also benefits on having a colleague, who has a different perspective, look after you. They might be able to see your mistakes just as much as you see theirs.
The feedback I received helped me reflect and, most importantly, decide that it was worth integrating to my everyday life.