This week’s Career Blog post is by Michael Sherman, of the Web site, Graduate to Employment.
As your [school] year comes to a close, your most important interview is about to take place. And if handled correctly, your upcoming internship could lead to much more than a summer paycheck. Consider this: according to CareerBuilder 63% of graduates who complete a paid internship will receive a job offer to join their employer upon graduation. Overall, graduates with paid internship experience had average starting salaries 28% higher than their peers without internship experience. Your mission: don’t look at your internship as a summer job; think of it as a 10-week working interview. Come early, stay late. Know the industry and ask questions. Build relationships with co-workers and show enthusiasm. Even if you don’t end up working for that company after graduation, your internship and summer experience will be the first thing people see on your resume. The foundation of your professional network will be the relationships you build during your internship. Treat your internship as an extended interview and you very well may have an offer at the end of the summer. Good luck!
Added information from the Penn State Harrisburg Career Office–
Even if you don’t have a job offer, (especially if you are not approaching your senior year or last semester), if you did well you should ask your intern supervisor to be one of your references when applying to future positions. So, do all the above to make sure that person will give you a strong recommendation when speaking to other recruiters. Additionally, your supervisor or any co-worker may be a referral source for other opportunities in your field, so maintain good relations with everyone you come in contact with. We also recommend you keep a journal of your internship experience, so you can reflect on the highs and lows and how they may relate to your future goals. Keep samples of your work, with permission, for a portfolio you can show your next potential employer. This can be on-line or hard copy, whichever is appropriate. And don’t forget to thank your employer(s) at the end of your internship. Good professional manners will always be remembered positively.