Intern to Long Term: Securing a Full-Time Offer From Your Internship
Check out this TSM approved guide on going from intern to long-term this summer.
By Charity Graham
You’ve done it. After submitting a stellar application and speaking flawlessly in two rounds of interviews, you’ve secured an internship in your field. 2 months in and you could see yourself here for a whole lot longer. It’s not nearly uncommon for interns to become salaried employees. In fact, plenty of companies prefer to hire within. Check out this TSM approved guide on going from intern to long-term this summer. You’ve got your foot in the door, it’s time to walk all the way in!
Establish credibility. Let your teams know they can count on you! Respond to messages in a timely manner, complete your assigned tasks thoroughly and on-time, and more importantly, communicate when you can’t. Rather than rush your work, let your manager know when a deadline isn’t realistic for you and your workload.
Be 2 steps ahead. When completing a task, think bigger than what’s in front of you. Ask yourself “what will the person I’m handing this over to do with it?” Incorporate those next steps into the work or mention it to your supervisor, let them know you’re doing some forward thinking.
Take initiative. Volunteer for tasks within your bandwidth and skill set. You’ll have more chances to make valuable contributions to the company. Even if it’s a small task like sending an invite for a meeting or starting a shared document, it’ll be a flex when you’re asked to do something and you can say you already did it.
Leave your mark. Keep tabs on helpful hints, protocols, and company culture aspects throughout your internship. Towards the end, compile a guide for future interns. You’ll see how much you’ve learned, and you’ve already given the company something valuable and useful.
Be (openly) flexible You’re in this internship to learn what you could see yourself doing full-time. In other words, if you only do work you’re already comfortable doing, you’re doing yourself a disservice! Don’t shy away from projects that may flex different muscles.
Speak up As long as you're cultivating a positive relationship with your manager, you should be comfortable being vocal about work that excites you, but being just as vocal about what you’d like to do less of if possible. Even if it’s work in a different department or discipline that you were placed in, see if there’s a way you can dip your toe into it! Oh, and please, ask questions. This will give your manager an idea of what work to send your way.
Build Strong Relationships. Your network is everything, especially in today’s job market! Establish genuine relationships with the team members you connect with and especially your manager. In a virtual environment, schedule a 1:1 with a team member who’s role you want to know more about.
Above all, remember: No intern deserves to be there more than you. They chose you for a reason! Do your best work and let it speak for itself.
