How to Turn an Internship into a Full Time Job
Congratulations! You’re interning at a company you love, and you can picture yourself working there full-time. So, now what? How do you do the seemingly impossible - transition from intern to full-time employee? Whether you graduate in a year or in a couple of weeks, here are five tips to help you get there:
Get to Know Everyone
The more people you have on your side, the easier it will be to pitch yourself as a potential employee. To be considered for a full-time position, you’ll want to be certain you’ve made the best impression on not only your direct supervisor, but also other people in different departments. Introduce yourself and be helpful to everyone you can, you never know, but they could advocate for you further along the line when you apply for a job in the future! Read our blog post about how to introduce yourself in the workplace here.
Make Yourself a Valuable Asset to the Team
Better yet, make yourself indispensable. Sure you may want to work at the company X, but do they want you working for them? Do your best work, show up on time, and offer your help during your downtime. In other words, Ace the Internship. They’ll remember your hard work when considering you as a candidate for a full-time job.
Communicate
Set up a coffee meeting with your supervisor, and state your intentions clearly. Express that you’ve been enjoying your experience at the company and would like to come back as a full-time employee, or transition into one. Your boss isn’t a mind reader, so it's important to let them know you’re interested. Starting the conversation shows initiative, and they’ll be more likely to think of you when a position opens up in the future.
Say Thank You
Thank You notes go a long way. When you leave your internship, hand out personalized thank-you notes to everyone who you worked with directly, took the time to tell you about their job or helped you in any capacity. If it’s a small office, it’s best to give a thank-you note to everyone. The thank-you note is crucial to leaving everyone at the office with the best impression.
Stay Connected
One of the best benefits of interning is growing your network. Add your supervisor on LinkedIn, and anyone else you feel comfortable adding! Leave your contact information in your thank-you notes (see tip #4), and use your resources to stay connected. Sending a holiday message or a “congratulations” on a LinkedIn post will keep you front-of-mind, and could lead to a job offer from your boss, a referral to work for one of their colleagues.
Now get back to being the superstar intern that you are!
