5 Ways To Convert Your Internship Into A Full-Time Job

Do you find your internship really interesting? How about turning it into a full-time job and doing what you like on a permanent basis?

The prospect of finding a good summer internship that aligns with your interests is terrifying enough. But what about performing it well enough to actually bag the job? If you’re having a field day at your internship and wish to use it to launch a career, it’s time to get serious and take some action.

Here are five ideas to help you convert your internship into a full-time job.

Build a strong relationship with your supervisor

In workplace settings, it is imperative for you to establish a relationship with the people around you, especially your supervisor. The intern-supervisor exchange plays a key role in influencing your performance, providing more learning opportunities and higher levels of satisfaction. In simple words, sharing a compatibility with your supervisor is extremely important.

A recent report on this particular subject by Rose, Teo and Connells showed that the interaction between the interns and their workplace supervisors was a strong predictor of future job outcomes. This calls the need to keep your supervisor up-to-date with your work and accomplishments by following up with them on a regular basis. Once you identify your job responsibilities and know what your supervisor expects of you, make sure to rise up to/ or exceed her expectations.

Become a part of the company

Whilst building a relationship with your supervisor, you should also be connecting with other interns and full-time employees. Because many companies and workplaces have unwritten rules regarding things like dress and behavior, try to fit in and be a part of the company.

Your ability to fit into a set culture can say a lot about you and your professionalism. By hiring you as an intern, the company is consistently assessing you and determining whether or not you are the right fit for the job. At times,you might find it complicated to understand a company’s culture, but you can always go around and ask questions to have a clear idea because this is your chance to get all your queries answered.

Ask a lot of questions, but ask the right ones

According to Dan Rosenweig, CEO of Chegg, the best interns are those who tend to ask a lot of questions. They are also bright, inquisitive, and naturally curious and have a quest for knowledge. Be it about the company, your work, the industry or specific skills, ask away. Never shy away from asking questions from your supervisor because these will help you understand the culture of the company better.

It is also about being proactive; the clearer you are about various things, the quicker you’ll be able to get tasks done and make the right decisions. If you’re able to deliver real value for the company in less time, chances are you are already on your way to being hired for a full-time job.

Set goals from the beginning

Alongside completing your everyday tasks and responsibilities, it is important for you to clearly know what your goals at the internship are. Map out some short-term and long-term goals, make a list and even share some with your co-interns and the supervisor. Putting your goals into writing ensures accountability and also increases the chances of you achieving them.

Lauren Boyd, the People Operations Manager at Seer, a digital marketing agency, happens to also oversee their digital marketing internship program. Five of their interns received full-time offers. One of the reasons she gave for this was that these interns had created an entire Goals Tracking doc and shared it with their respective supervisors. This helped them build compelling cases as to why they should be hired full-time and it worked well in their favour.

Speak up; act like an employee and not an intern

Even though you are just an intern, refrain from using that as an excuse. You might not have great expertise up your sleeve, but undermining your own abilities says a lot about your personality. Speak up when you have something valuable to add and voice your opinions. Challenge yourself to exceed set expectations.

Hannah, an editor for The Chriselle Factor, turned her internship into a full-time job. When asked how she managed to do that, she said that she spoke up at content meetings and had creative ideas to share. She made sure to not be ‘just an intern’ and that everybody knew who she was and what she could do. Strive to make yourself known as not the intern but someone with great ambition and passion.

Be it photography or video making, or a marketing campaign, you should always go for what you love doing and have a passion for. Nobody wants to end up in a job where they count the hours on the clock. Fight for what you want, because nobody else will do it for you!

Evie Harrison is a business and technology blogger who helps new entrepreneurs take their first steps in the business world. She loves to discover the world around her and share her experiences with the world.  You can find her on Twitter: @iamevieharrison

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