I'm winding down my three month Software Engineer internship at Atlassian's headquarters in Sydney. I've really enjoyed my time here - I've had the pleasure to work with a great team of diverse characters and backgrounds, do good work that delivers impact for my team and the company at large, and leave a lasting impact on my team.

Here's some key thoughts and "ground rules" for the next cohort of interns:

(This applies to in-person interns mostly, but also remote interns)
It is extremely rude not to go to the events. I don't care that you have 'work to do', you're not a full-time permanent employee, so don't act like one. Your manager will think you're a jack-ass, the recruiters will be annoyed, and you're disrespecting the rest of your cohort.

"I don't get paid to go to the events." You sound like a prick. Do you think Atlassian wants to hire pricks?

Even from an angle of pure self-gain, getting yourself visible in front of recruiters is valuable. Who wants to hire someone who is forgettable?

You don't have APEX. Go to the events.

Some interns come all the way to Sydney and get placed on remote teams, which is unfortunate. I was lucky enough to have between 2 and 6 members of my team (a child team of Data Management Platform/Core Data Services) frequent the office, which really helped with settling in and learning company culture.

But, don't resign if you're an intern with a remote team. Most of my team, including one of my buddies, were remote. Learn the game. Run events to connect with your team. Online games - GeoGuesser, there's tons of these - just look, work wonders. Your manager will respect you for trying to bring your team together. Remember, you're gonna want team impact points for your performance review.

Your manager is probably going to ask feedback from the people in your team that you've worked with, so leave a good impression. Laugh with them, ask them about their lives, their worlds. You already know that it makes you feel good when someone asks about your culture, your home, your people, your interests. Why not do it for them?

Document everything you do. Tests, documents, decisions (DACIs are big). Post your wins. A weekly blog, maybe (you can keep it just between your manager and mentor, if you'd like). Flex hard. You had to be great to get here. Show them.

Near the end of your internship, your manager has to justify their rating of you to people above them in the org chain. Give them ample evidence to play with - remember that your manager might not see your day-to-day wins. Write everything down. Give them ammo.

Remember - you know you're great, and your mentor probably does too. But does your manager know? Address this asymmetrical information gap early, regularly, and prevent it before it grows too big to close.

You're not hard for knowing the answer to most programming questions instantly. Ask questions, because it shows you're trying to do your job.

You're an adult with a salary that would make 65% of adults jealous. Act like an adult. Laugh in meetings, share jokes, care about your fellow adults. But don't take the piss. Get your work done, respect the work of your team. Go to social events, RCGs, drink nights with your team.

And for God's sake. Nobody gives a shit that you went to UNSW.

It is a blessing from God to work at a place as magical as Atlassian. Don't forget the privilege, the hard work, the long nights, the self-doubting that got you here. They picked you because you're the best. Act like it.