How often do internships convert into full time offers? and what is needed to make it happen?

Hi Daniel,

Really great question. I would say that internships lead to full time internships enough where you should definitely be sure to do your best at all times. Not all internships serve as a pathway to full time employment that is for sure, but it does occur more often during internships you have later in your college years. There are many internships that are only open to Juniors and Seniors and if you see that, it's a good indicator that "Company X" hires from their interns. Hiring former interns is a low cost easy way for companies and organizations to fill their junior level positions as they have seen the quality of your work and your level of competence. Hiring from the outside is more risky for employers as they do not know you so if you find yourself in an internship, especially as a Junior or Senior, be sure to go above and beyond. I have also heard of interns being offered a full time job upon graduation during their Freshman or Sophomore year but those internships were often paid ones and highly competitive.

I interned during the summer after I graduated and after interning for 3 months, I was offered a full time position with the organization. Most of us interns were hired and it was really only the ones who didn't work hard, who received bad evaluations, or didn't have a good attitude that didn't get hired. I would say that the key to receiving an offer at the end of your internship is to volunteer to do things, take on extra responsibilities, work hard, have a good attitude, and network well. You wan't people to be able to say good things about you at the end of your internship and if you do all of the above things, you will set yourself up to receive an offer.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!

Best,

Austin

Hi Daniel:

A few other thoughts for you! I love internships and did nearly a dozen of them starting as early as high school - mostly as an opportunity to learn about other fields of work and roles, so definitely think about the opportunity of an internship in it's broadest sense (how the following work: people, topics, place in industry, roles, pay, promotion)

• First understand how the company you're at views the internship program. Some companies consider internship programs as a way to get cheap labor for certain work. Others see it as a path to bringing in full time employees into very structured and highly accelerated career paths.
• Once you understand how the company views the internship program, think about your goal. Regardless of the actions that the company takes, what do you want out of it? Are you in marketing, but want to know how someone in accounting's day to day looks like? Do you want a good recommendation letter out of it?
• Keep in mind that sometimes, a company might have loved working with you, but because of external factors (e.g. let's say the company isn't doing well anymore), they can't offer you a job. Remember that if you do a great job they could consider you for a job at some other point in the future. This is not your only chance. Think about it as a relationship! These mentors/bosses might always be in your career life, and you might work with them again (in this job or another job).

Hi Daniel,

Great question - it shows proactive thinking!

As far as how often internships get converted into FT offers, it really depends ... factors impacting this are: the industry, company, hiring climate, particular team you're working with, etc.

In my experience, the interns I've met who have successfully converted have done the following:

1. They nail their projects. It helps to meet with your manager on a regular basis, show them your progress, and get feedback on what's going well / what needs some work. No matter how big (or small!) the task, I recommend doing it with a positive attitude and mindset for learning.
2. Once they're nailing their current projects, they're also taking on extra assignments. This shows initiative and really impresses the hiring managers - leading to a much greater chance of getting converted.
3. They network! Yes, you've got your core team and your manager, but being an intern also means you get a free pass to talk to others in the organization. This is a great way to meet new people - most folks are very receptive to meeting interns! :) Especially if it's just for a 20 minute coffee meeting. During those meetings, you can share what you're working on, get their advice, etc. They can become a mentor or an advocate for you later on.

Hope this helps,

Chau