How to Turn an Internship into a Job Offer (9 Proven Strategies)

Getting an internship opportunity in your dream company is huge! It is the golden key to turning your internship into a full-time job offer. But don’t get too excited just yet.

Yes, you have come closer to landing your dream job. But, before making a job offer, companies evaluate various factors to determine whether an intern is a good match for the full-time position.

With our advice and coaching to support them, 1 in 4 interns on our Virtual Internships program get hired at the end of their internship. To help you, we’ve compiled eight tried and tested strategies that can maximize your chances of getting hired at the end of your internship.

Whether you’re on an internship, about to start one, or figuring out if it’s worth doing one, read on as we unpack the steps to take to turn your internship into a job offer. 

8 Expert Tips to Turn an Internship into a Job Offer

Internships present ideal opportunities for you to try on different careers, without the pressure of committing to a permanent position, all whilst gaining invaluable experience to fuel your growth trajectory. 

On the flip side, they’re also an excellent strategy for companies to bring in diverse and ambitious talent that they can mould into future employees. It’s a win-win. 

Most companies that offer internships do so as a means of recruiting new full-time employees. After all, if you have worked with the company before, you are more likely to be a better fit for the organization’s culture.

Therefore, if you are an intern in the company, you are already 70% more likely to land a full-time job offer with said company. Without further ado, here are the eight strategies that will help you turn this 70% chance into a 100% guaranteed full-time position:

1. Build strong rapport

The importance of getting along with your team as an intern cannot be overstated. You can have an excellent work ethic and do everything perfectly, but, none of that will matter if your team does not like working with you.

So, if you intend to turn your internship into a full-time position, bring your best to the table. Build a strong rapport with your manager and supervisors, be good to work with, and blend in with the company culture.

2. Make your intentions clear from the start

While starting your internship, meet with your manager and get the lay of the land. Get clear on what your primary responsibilities are, who you need to update on progress, and if you are allowed to work on cross-department projects.

These job inputs can help you be clear on the expectations. Plus, you can avoid so many problems just by initiating clear and open communication. 

3. Treat your internship like one big interview

Just like an internship is a great way to ‘test’ a career, interns are also seen by companies as a great way to bring in talent that could become permanent employees. 

Therefore, from the first day, demonstrate a deep interest in your company’s goal, values, and mission and embed yourself as much as possible in their culture and ways of working. Come the end of your internship, this will make it harder for them to see a future without you. 

Ask yourself: How are you helping the team meet its objectives? Identify issues within the company you can help solve. Try your best to prove yourself as a valuable asset that the organization needs.

Remember to keep an eye on the bigger picture, and look for ways to convey how the internship is assisting you to grow both professionally and personally.

4. Widen your professional network 

Your network is your net worth!

Make connections with your clients, co-workers, managers, and even your fellow interns. Because the more employees acknowledge your value in the company, the better your chances of getting a full-time job.

Drop a message or call your colleagues just to talk and know more about them and connect with employees on LinkedIn while you are still in the picture.

If you don’t end up being offered a position at the company at the end of your internship, you’ll be leaving with a broadened network that could be very useful in the future. 

Read More: 5 Ways to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile

5. Find out all you can about the company

Employers actively look for candidates who can think out of the box and unravel answers to present issues that management may not have recognized or handled. This is the benefit of hiring remotely and hiring fresh, ambitious talent – they often have a different way to approaching problems. Use this to your advantage!

So, while interning, don’t just stay confined to your department. Instead, don’t be afraid to ask to learn more about a different department or role within the company. Ask questions, identify problems, offer your insights, and discuss how the issues at hand can be solved.

Show your employers that you are not there just to clock in and out, but to help the organization grow with your contribution.

6. Learn as much as you can from others

Internships programs are meant to provide you with hands-on work experience. But, what’s the benefit of this experience if you don’t grasp it with both hands?

Show interest in all parts of the business – use this opportunity to learn about what you are interested in as much as it is helping the company. By being inquisitive, you may stumble upon an interest you didn’t know you had, all whilst simultaneously demonstrating to the company that you’re interested. 

You can also use this experience to learn a lot about yourself and the things that you can improve on. Asking for feedback and areas of improvement on your job performance from your managers and supervisors is never a bad thing, plus it’s a great way to portray your inquisitive attitude towards work.

7. Set goals and work hard

Setting goals, being enthusiastic about your work, and being clear on your responsibilities is another strategy that goes both ways. You’ll complete each day and week feeling fulfilled, and this will be reflected in your performance. 

A strong work ethic is one of the biggest attributes employers look for; this is a great way to demonstrate it without explicitly saying it out loud. 

8. Be punctual

Punctuality is a mirror of your sincerity!

Whilst most remote internships are flexible on when you work, there may be times during your internship when you need to be punctual, such as for a meeting with a client or your supervisor. 

Practices like checking the call link, your connection, and your video/microphone 10 minutes before the call can be the difference between showing you’re reliable or not.

How to Increase Your Chances of Being Offered a Full-Time Position After Your Internship

We’ve outlined the strategies and best practices for increasing your chances of being offered a position at your host company upon completing your internship. 

However, if that doesn’t happen, there are also methods you can use to increase your chances of being offered a full-time job after your internship is completed, further down the line. 

Reflect on your internship

As you inch closer to the end of your internship period, start analyzing your work and achievements throughout your journey.

Document all the projects you have completed, tools you have specialized in, skills you have learned, and professional relationships you’ve built in the company.

You can take the following steps to put this together. By doing this, you’ll be able to quickly reference this when leveraging your internship experience in cover letters, CVs, and interviews:

• Describe your overall experience briefly in the introduction
• Describe how your goals were met
• Discuss how your internships contributed to the organization
• Conclude with how you can further contribute to the company’s growth

Ask about a full-time position

There’s nothing wrong with simply asking about the full-time position towards the end of your internship period. In fact, companies will most likely appreciate the ambition it shows. 

Start by preparing your pitch with the values you have added to the company via your work. Then, mention your interest in the full-time position and the company, and request a meeting to discuss the same. 

Keep in touch

You can be an excellent intern. You can be appreciated, skilled, polite, and genuinely enthusiastic about joining the team. Still, the answer to a full-time role could be no, for a number of reasons.

But, that is not the end of the road!

You might not land the full-time position immediately. But, if you have given your best in your internship, you never know what opportunities may arise down the line.

Therefore, even if they say no, be gracious and keep in touch.

The Secret to Maximizing Your Chances

Not all internships are created equal. While some are curated to help you grow professionally and hone your skill sets, many also indulge their interns in menial and repeated chores (a sad reality).

But, what if there were a program that chooses your preferred internship in companies already screened to provide you with the best work experiences and growth opportunities?

We at virtual internships strive to bridge the gap between companies in need of ambitious talent and young people looking to gain experience to advance their careers, get clear on what they want to do, and build their global connections. 

Read more: Why Choose a Virtual Internship over a Traditional One

With constant career guidance and support from our experts throughout and after your internship, more than 6,000 people like you have already secured internship placements in the world’s most innovative companies, from start-ups to global organizations. 

Secure your guaranteed internship and change the course of your future today!