Feedback Can Turn Your Internship Into a Job
By Maggie Ruvoldt
February 24, 2012
An internship is like every other job in a company: you’re hired for either what you can do – or what you have the potential to do. You’re expected to contribute to the company’s goals, and success in this position leads to more experience and bigger opportunities.
If you want to turn your internship into a full time job with the company, you need to make that fact known. More important, you need find out what you need to do to make that happen.
Those I have seen successfully turn their internships into jobs did so by taking charge. They didn’t wait to be recognized – and they did more than simply apply for open positions. The most impressive examples are the people who made a plan to find out how the work and performance were viewed, made personal improvements – and proactively went after the jobs they wanted.
Create a Performance Review
Most companies have some form of a performance review process. Use this opportunity to get the feedback you want and leverage it. If your company doesn’t have a formal process for reviewing internships, ask your manager for 30 minutes to talk about how you’re doing. Don’t wait too long; make that appointment about 45 days into your internship if it is at least six months longfor a shorter internship.
Show Your Worth
A few days before your scheduled review, see if you can get a copy of the performance form that the company uses for full time employees. That’s a great template to organize your thoughts and frame the conversation. HR is often willing to provide a blank form if you explain why you want to use the template.
Write your own version of the job description for your internship and include what you are contributing. Identify where you feel you’ve delivered beyond expectations or stepped up without being asked. The best employees are those who proactively find places the company can improve and then make it happen. Take some time to figure out what you can be doing better and how you plan to show that improvement.
Create Your Own Job
Check out the current openings and the kinds of jobs the company has available. Again, get your hands on those job descriptions or job postings. HR can help out here, too. If they’ve hired for the job, even if it’s filled, there might be an old job posting they can share. Pick your skills targets from that list and prepare a 60 second explanation of how you could deliver in that job.
It’s Your Meeting
When you get to the review meeting, remember: it’s your meeting; you’re going to need to drive it. Show the manager what you’ve done to prepare for the meeting on your performance, areas of strength and where you can improve. Then ask for feedback. The easiest way to frame this is “This is how I think I’ve been doing. Where am I right and where am I off base?” Take notes on the feedback received.
Next, turn the conversation to your desire for full time employment. “I’m hoping to work for the company full time after my internship/graduation.” Talk about your target list, why you think you should be considered. Ask who else in the company the manager thinks would be willing to give you an exploratory interview. Ask what more you should do to increase your chances of getting a full time job.
Wrap Up and Move Forward
When you wrap up the meeting, thank your manager for taking the time.
Follow that all up with an email, thanking your manager again for the time. Reiterate your interest in coming on full time and why you think you’d be the right person to hire. Make sure to reach out to people for those exploratory interviews. Hugely important to show you are coachable: during the rest of your internship, apply the feedback you received from your manager.
The opportunities are out there for the taking. The surest way to get it: Going for what you want.
Please see the original article here.