Just imagine getting hired as a permanent employee by the same company you intern with. No more job searches and job interviews post internship. While it sounds cool, it's not that easy. However, if you plan well, you can turn your internship into a permanent job. Let me tell you how.
First consider the following steps. If you follow these steps, you will be more likely to be interning and then working with your dream company.
Step 1 - Enroll in the right institute:
First things first, shortlist the institutes that are associated with the kind of companies you want to intern or work with. Studying in one of these institutes will increase your chances of working with your dream companies.
Step 2 - Select the right company to intern with:
Be clear about the kind of job you want. Check if interning with a particular company will help you learn the skills needed for it and shortlist the companies based on this. The learning and experience from the internship can certainly help you nail your first job interview.
Step 3 - Acquire and develop the right skills:
The next step is to check the eligibility criteria of these companies for hiring interns. Acquire and develop the right skills i.e., Technical as well as Soft Skills, that make you suitable for their requirements.
Do not worry if you have missed any of the above-mentioned steps. You can still follow Step 3 from above and prove to any employer that you are worthy of a permanent role in their company. Here is how you can do it.
1. Be a good listener:
Being a good listener is the first step toward learning. Don’t just listen, ask the right questions to understand. This will help you learn the skills needed to carry out your duties effectively and avoid silly mistakes.
2. Ask for help whenever needed:
Asking for help doesn’t mean you don’t have the skills to carry out the tasks assigned to you, or that you are incompetent. It means you are honest and intelligent. Identify the right people and ask for help. It will enhance the quality of your work, save time and increase your productivity.
3. Seek Constructive Feedback:
Always seek constructive feedback. It enhances your skills and performance. Being negative towards feedback takes the learning opportunities away from you and makes you redundant. Constructive feedback fosters positive relationships. It gives you a chance to discuss and resolve minor conflicts that can turn into misunderstandings.
4. Have a Mentor:
Mentors teach you, guide you and give you necessary advice and feedback too. They can help you channel your energy and focus on goals. They can be your go-to resource whenever you need help.
5. Set Clear Goals:
Setting goals gives a clear vision and helps you organize your time and resources, concentrate on important tasks, and complete projects on time. Begin by setting smaller goals and achieving them. This will give you the confidence to set bigger goals and achieve them with ease.
6. Manage Your Time Effectively:
Learn to prioritize the tasks assigned to you. Avoid procrastinating. Learn different skills and use tools that help you save time. This will increase your productivity and make you a more reliable and valuable employee.
7. Be a team player:
Teams generally have people with varying opinions and ideas. Respect them. Be accountable for your actions and understand how your actions impact the entire team. You will be a great team player if you can show others that you believe in the group and the common goals. This sort of positivity can radically increase morale and productivity.
8. Exhibit a positive attitude:
Positive people are liked by others. Being positive increases your productivity and boosts your confidence. It also helps you collaborate with people and work in teams.
9. Be adaptable:
Employers nowadays prefer hiring people who can adapt to changes. Being adaptable helps you handle adversities with ease and avoid stress resulting from continuous changes. Adapting to new ways of doing things, using new tools or technology, and following new business processes helps you stay relevant in your profession.
10. Take initiative:
Don’t shy away from taking initiative. It allows you to create visibility and enhance your value. It establishes your reputation. This plays a key role in your conversion into a full-time employee.
11. Be proactive:
Being proactive gives you a sense of control and helps you take charge of any situation. It helps you to anticipate, be prepared and act before the circumstances change. It allows you to organize and execute your tasks effectively.
12. Make Connections:
Most of the freshers don’t know the importance of making connections. It can help your personal and professional growth as you might get to learn from people who know more than you. Your connections can result in referrals or lead to future business alliances too. A lot of people could find employment only because of the kind of connections they had when the pandemic hit.
13. Maintain a record of your accomplishments:
Maintain a record of all the tasks that are assigned to you and how you accomplish them. When the time comes, you can bank on this record to talk about your achievements and your contribution to the company with the help of all the required facts and figures.
14. End the internship on a good note:
If you do all that is mentioned above, your chances of being retained as a full-time employee by the company will certainly increase. Make a list of all your contributions and achievements and meet your supervisor. Tell them how enriching your experience working with the company has been, and how you have contributed to its success. Express your interest in continuing to work with and grow with the company. This will make them think about retaining now or hiring you in the future.
Thus, when you plan well and then acquire and showcase the right skills, you can turn your internship into a permanent job.
p.s. Don't be disheartened if you are not converted. By following the Step 3 you will indirectly be preparing for your next job interview anyway.
Sawan is a Learning/Training consultant with over thirteen years of rich experience in training. He has been associated with companies like Amazon, Various Multinational and Domestic Companies, Leading Training Organizations, and prestigious Educational Institutes. He is a go-to person for setting up and leading training teams, managing training programs, and creating and curating content for online and offline learning. He is passionate about helping companies revive their training interventions and enable their workforce to achieve business goals.