How to Turn Your Internship into a Full-time Offer

As I wrap up the four years of undergraduate experience and move onto my new chapter, I want to share insight with others, particularly rising Juniors and Seniors, on how I landed my first job at Bloomberg LP through a summer internship experience. These tips are not necessarily bullet-proof, but I have no doubt that they aided in strengthening the case for why I derserved a full-time offer. My hope is that some of my tips might help others prepare for success in their upcoming internship experiences and land their dream job too.

1. Establish a strong relationship with your supervisor.

In my experience, having a strong relationship with my supervisor made all the difference in landing my first job. Personally, I met (virtually) with my supervisor at least once a day during my internship and connected with her to let her know what my short-term, daily goals were and what I was working on to accomplish them. We would touch base on longer-term projects as well, and I would always see where I could be helpful to her.

Creating this solid relationship with my supervisor helped in two crucial ways: (1) She served as a sponsor for me when final decisions were being made on full-time conversions, advocating for me when I was not in the room and (2) the strong rapport we had built ensured I could ask her any and all questions and she would be honest and blunt in her responses. She was my strongest support system during my internship, and I could not have been successful without her. *Shout-out to Michelle Ceran*

2. Keep a running list of everything you work on and everyone you meet.

As interns, we can get a lot done in the 8 to 10 weeks we are on the job, especially if you have built a strong relationship with a supervisor who trusts you to get work done and provides you with unique opportunities to grow during the internship period. To keep track of my many projects, I found that it was essential to write down everything I was working on. I would keep a running list of what projects I was working on and how I helped support the projects. This is not only helpful for when you are building out that section of your resume at the end of the summer, but it also helps during performance reviews. For me, I had a performance review mid-summer and at the end of the internship term. Each time, I came ready with a list of projects I had worked on and how I had supported the company in such a short amount of time. Doing this can help show your manager or supervisor that you are an invaluable asset. It is proof of your accomplishments and your value add.

I also kept a running list of everyone I connected with, whether through informal coffee chats, informational interviews, or other program-related events. Keeping track of who you are connecting with is helpful for networking purposes when you want to follow up with someone at the end of the internship and leave a strong impression. It can also be helpful during your performance reviews to illustrate to your supervisor that you are networking and are invested in getting to know more about various opportunities within the company. With that being said, make sure that when you are networking, you are also doing so with the individuals who may be in the decision room for internship conversion discussions. If you develop a relationship with these people, they are more likely to advocate for you and serve not just as a mentor, but also as a sponsor in the long-run.

3. Stay on top of your work and go above and beyond where possible.

Internship experiences are full of distractions with getting to know peers, experiencing a new city for the first time, and taking advantage of a whole range of social opportunities that may be offered for you. This does not mean don't take advantage of all of the fun. You absolutely should! Take advantage of all of these, but make sure you are prioritizing your work first. You are interning for a professional experience not a social one; for this reason, it is crucial to stay on top of your work.

Try to maintain your productivity and complete tasks in an efficient manner. This will impress your supervisor and any other colleagues you may be supporting. If you are able to go above and beyond on an assignment (this may mean completing it far before they expect it to be done or going the extra mile to support the project in some way), your managers and supervisors will be thrilled with the work you are putting in. This translates well when it gets to the time to make a final decision.

4. Don't be afraid to voice your intentions.

From early on in my internship experience, I made it clear to all of my managers and supervisors that I was interested in a full-time offer if it was ever on the table. Voicing your intentions can help those who want to advocate for you support you in the best way. This will allow them to put you in the room with the right people or make sure you are working on projects that will really shine through when final decisions come around.

Don't be afraid to be honest! It can feel a bit awkward but it is important for you to advocate for yourself during your internship, and it cannot hurt you one bit. Worst case senario, they tell you that there isn't an option for full-time conversion. In this case, they can likely connect you to other companies or past colleagues who can help you land your dream job elsewhere.

*Have any lingering questions? Don't be afraid to reach out to me via LinkedIn. I love to give back and help others and am always open to chat*