Turning your summer internship into a full-time employment after graduation isn’t as easy as it
sounds. Considering that you are competing with some of the best talent from your batch, some of
whom may also be your peers and friends, you want to make sure that you set the right impression
that allows your potential employers to be confident about your place in their organisation.
Here are a few tips to consider if you intend to convert your internship into a full-time job –
Be Humble
Just because you managed the marketing of your club at university, it does not put you in the
position to head a global media strategy for a firm. While you don’t want to go unnoticed in your
cubicle, find a way to balance the act between being confident about your abilities and also being
humble enough to not feel “entitled” for your position.
Be Professional
It is rather simple to spot an intern in a crowd. More often than not interns tend to be dressed down
with bags under their eyes, reeking of beer still reminiscent of the party they went to last night. It
is better to find ways to be respected by your co-workers right from the start. Make sure that you
dress professionally when you come to work and find ways to showcase your productivity and
commitment to your work before you show them your weekend personality.
Be Conservative on Social Media
While all interns spend hours on social media cleaning up their Instragram and Facebook photos,
companies still have to see posts and comments that your friends tag you in. If you really want
to showcase yourself as an individual that is serious about the internship and the potential full-
time opportunity, make sure you avoid pictures and actions on social media that are even remotely
unprofessional.
Optimising Social Media for your Benefit
While pursuing your internship, find ways to connect with your colleagues, managers and other
superiors through portals such as LinkedIn. This is an excellent way to stay updated with the latest
news on the company. Furthermore, don’t shy away from making comments on professional posts
that others share. This will show your interests towards the industry, the business and the people
that you may work with. Also, you will continue to appear on their news feed and be known.
On your Last Day
On your last day as an intern, make the effort to go meet everyone, shake hands, look them in the
eye while saying goodbye and also make it a point to thank them for contributing to your work
experience. Writing personalised thank you notes, or sending out emails to your colleagues is also a
great way to let them know you appreciated the time you spent at the company.
Finally, the best way to land a full-time job at the place in which you are interning is by simply
being direct about wanting one. Towards the end of your internship ask about the various career
opportunities and let the managers know that you are interested in more.
