How to Convert an Internship into a Full-Time Job Offer

It’s that time of the year when young, bright and curious faces show up into Adobe’s office spaces and cafes and we are reminded of getting older and completing another year in the professional world. We often forget the struggles and learning curve at that time of the internship. 

So, in the spirit of giving back to Adobe Digital Academy community, I am sharing my experience of converting my internship into a full-time job offer and the strategies that helped me get there. For me, what began as a coding boot camp through the Adobe Digital Academy resulted in a full-time offer as a software engineer at Adobe. The tools and strategies shared in this article can be used in any industry and office setting, and I hope they are helpful for current interns. 

First, start with the basics like getting set up with the right tools to work. Next, set up introductory chats with your co-workers and manager and start planning your internship project. If your company doesn’t require an internship project, complete one anyway because it will be on your resume.

These three months can lead to a lifetime of friendship, mentorship, and valuable industry contacts. Maintaining a very positive attitude in the very first few weeks is really important. For some odd reason, I find many interns aren’t sure of their ability to work for the same company as a full-time employee. Combating this attitude with a growth mindset is really important at this stage. Everyone else in your team and company was in the same position at some point. Be open about your mistakes, ask questions freely and take feedback positively. 

The next step is to find a decision maker (most likely your manager) and talk to them about your aspirations of receiving a full-time offer. Together, set expectations and goals for the next three months. 

I remember my first one-on-one meeting with my manager on the very first week of the internship, and I asked him what his key performance indicators were for me to be converted as a full-time employee. He mentioned two things: the progress on my assigned project and clear communication. To be honest, communication was an unexpected one for me. He wanted me to work on a feature that solves a problem. The issue was it was never done before and he was expecting to figure out if that’s possible or not. If the answer was negative, then I had to explain clearly why not and all the technical challenges attached to it.

I think it’s time to introduce the formula that worked for me to convert my internship into a full-time job offer. This is what my high-level equation looks like:

Growth mindset + assigned work + communication + networking = full-time job offer

There might be other factors at play that are out of your control. For example, budget or headcount availability on the team can be an important factor. But I can assure you that if you follow the tips discussed here, you will still be able to get the most out of your internship.

Growth Mindset:

Growth mindset is a psychological model developed by a Stanford professor. This theory believes that anyone can learn anything and improve their performance and ability with consistency and perseverance. Growth mindset is a huge topic and you can find many resources online about this topic. For now, I will leave you with this picture to explain.

Assigned work:

Show your team and decision makers your progress on your assigned work. They don’t expect you to know everything, but they are looking for someone who can be taught and understand what the team is trying to achieve. Set up your environment and get the right permissions for the specific environment and test run everything. Ask your team to assign a JIRA ticket or whatever project management system they are following. Participate in your team meetings and ask thoughtful questions and try to participate as much as you can.

Communication + networking strategy:

This might be the most important part of your strategy. Try to identify three to four people in your team that can become your advocates. If you’re in a technical role, people of interest can include senior members like your manager, scrum masters, decision makers and senior engineers that know the product really well. Talk to your manager face to face at least 15 to 30 minutes per week and give a full week update. It doesn’t have to be all work-related. Try to really get to know the person and learn from them. Ask the senior members of the team for mentorship and direct all of the technical questions towards them. Make sure to research your questions first and exhaust your options before asking very targeted questions. That’s where your communication skills will come in. Trying to explain a technical question in plain English and try to let them know what you have tried and what are you trying to achieve. Share what worked and what didn’t. It’s always interesting to see when someone more experienced tries to solve the same problem and you get validated. Ask individual team members and anyone outside of the team to grab lunch together and get to know them in person. To sum it up, network like you are making friends.

I hope these strategies are helpful, feel free to share, like and comment with any follow-up questions.