Internships are a great opportunity, especially for recent college grads. Why? Because an employer’s intentions with an internship could be temporary help at a cheaper rate or because they want to try out ways to recruit new stellar talent. By joining a team as an intern, you have your foot further in the full-time employment door than new applicants. You’re already two steps ahead of the competition for the next open position! So, that only leaves one question: How do I turn my internship into a full-time job?
Learn All You Can
A positive consideration to hiring interns that employers openly acknowledge is that it cuts down on training time after hiring on full-time help. Give them what they want! Absorb everything you can and take a ridiculous number of notes. All the things a full-time employee would learn in the first week, first month, and first quarter will be in those notes. Show them you’re the right choice for the position and that they’ll benefit from hiring a candidate who knows the company over a candidate who currently holds the title with another company.
Go Above & Beyond
Show them your value. You know you deserve that position; You’ve put in all that time with the company already. By going above and beyond your daily internship responsibilities, you’ll show them what they’ll be missing if they let your talent go. Ask your supervisor and co-workers if they need any help or support in other areas outside your regular day-to-day. By going above and beyond, they’ll see that it’ll be a waste of time opening up the position to external candidates. You’re obviously the right fit for the position – and then some.
Get Feedback – And Apply It
Do you take feedback well? That’s a wonderful trait! You’ll go far. As an intern, a great way to turn the opportunity into a full-time position is to not only listen to feedback and take it gracefully, but also use it. There are two steps to handling feedback, and most get stuck on step one that applying what they’ve learned isn’t often accomplished or even attempted. Impress your supervisor and those you work closely with and ask for their feedback on your performance, then use their recommendations to improve and blow them away.
Fine-Tune Your Goals
If you want to build a career from your internship, considering what goals you’d like to work toward is the best place to start. Create short- and long-term career goals and apply them to the desired position and the company at large. How do your goals align with theirs? What can you do for them and for yourself to help both parties reach those ultimate goals? Once you have the answers to those questions, you’re ready to sell yourself to your supervisor on an offer of full-time employment.
Connect with the Person Hiring
As an intern, you have access to information external candidates won’t – like who the direct hiring manager is. Build a solid relationship with your supervisor and the person in charge of hiring, whether the same person or two different people, to ensure they have you top of mind for the position when it opens. Find out fun facts about them and their life, to try to connect with them. They want to hire people they like and will enjoy working with.
Make it Clear What You Want
When all else fails, sometimes just asking is all you need. Let them know that a full-time position is something you want. People intern for many reasons, and most of those reasons stem from the convenience of a temporary no-commitment position. So, your employer may not know you want to continue working with them and that you’re looking for something more permanent. Make your intentions clear and tell them you’re interested in pursuing the open full-time position.
Keep in Touch & Network
They may not have the workload or the funds to hire full-time, but they may want to keep you in mind when they do have those resources. Don’t lose touch with your co-workers and, especially, your supervisor. Leverage virtual networking, such as LinkedIn, to check in and stay up to date on their upcoming hiring opportunities. You could be their first choice when something opens up, so don’t let them forget about you.
As an intern, you’re already a step ahead of the competition. Go even further and use our tips to turn your internship into a full-time gig to advance your career. For more tips to help you with your internship or other job search questions, keep following our blog.
Related Articles:
Goal-setting for 2020: Don’t break your resolutions before you write them down
12 Career Tips for Growth-Minded Individuals
