How to Turn Internships & Temporary Work into Full
Time Employment
Presented by: Heather R. Huhman Sponsored by Job & Career Accelerator
Who am I?
Founder & president of Come Recommended, a content marketing consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and employers
Career expert & experienced hiring manager Author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your
Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010) Career expert for a number of other orgs
Introduction
Companies are turning to temporary employees & interns to fill vacancies & help solve corporate challenges – 36% of companies will hire contract or
temporary workers in 2012 – Of the those companies, 35% have plans to hire
them on a permanent basis – Intern hiring was up 7% in 2010-2011
compared to the previous year
3
How to Find Internship Opportunities
Check internship job sites – JobAndCareerAccelerator.com – YouTern.com – Internships.com – Idealist.org – CollegeRecruiter.com
Local resources – Career centers – Craigslist
4
How to Find Internship Opportunities
Follow target companies on social media – Be the first to know about openings – Connect directly with hiring managers and HR – Use Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook, among others
Check company career sites – Many large companies have seasonal internship
programs – Smaller orgs might need interns throughout the
year
5
How to Create Your Own Internship
If no program is in place – Ask the employer to consider creating a position
for you – Set up a meeting with a hiring manager or HR – Come prepared
• Knowing which department you want to work in • Aware of challenges the employer might be facing &
how you can solve them
6
How I Created My Own Internship
Targeted a specific company
Drafted a proposal Approached would-be
supervisor Worked together to
create the internship
7
Temporary Jobs
Temp positions often have an end date
Might also be referred to as “contractual”, “freelance”, “seasonal”, “interim”, etc.
Could be full- or part-time 8
How to Work With Temporary Staffing Agencies
Employers often use temp agencies to fill short-term jobs because of their access to a wide applicant pool
Many agencies specialize in a particular field or industry
9
How to Work With Temporary Staffing Agencies
Find the right agency for you based on your field and skills
Many allow you to apply to temp jobs online – Manpowergroup.com – Officeteam.com
10
How to Work With Temporary Staffing Agencies
The agency might require you to complete standard tests to see how your skills measure up
Your information is then stored in a database – When an employer contacts the agency with a
need, they contact you if you are a good match for the skill set the company is seeking
11
How to Work With Temporary Staffing Agencies
Tips for a successful relationship with your temp agency: – Keep in regular contact about your availability
when you are unemployed – Complete assignments to the best of your ability
• You never know…it could lead to a full-time job!
– Contact your agency with any concerns if the job doesn’t pan out as described
12
How to Turn an Internship or Temp Job into Full-Time
Be proactive Complete work to the
best of your ability Cultivate good work
relationships Add colleagues to
your professional network
13
How to Turn an Internship or Temp Job into Full-Time
Treat it like an extended job interview
Dress the part Seek out challenges Ask questions Take notes Participate in meetings
14
How to Turn an Internship or Temp Job into Full-Time
Become indispensible Act as if you’re a full-
time staffer Be flexible Practice discipline &
focus
15
How to Turn an Internship or Temp Job into Full-Time
Find a mentor Ask for feedback Know the company
inside & out Be assertive Always be respectful Leave a positive
impression 16
Real Stories of Transitioning
Carlos Moore, a graphic-design student, was commissioned by the University of Arizona to film & photograph Macy’s Chief Executive Terry Lundgren
Lundgren’s assistant later asked Moore to create a highlight DVD of the visits
That work led to a marketing internship with Macy’s and he now works as a Macy’s art director (source: WSJ)
17
Real Stories of Transitioning
Amanda Standidge admired Kobo & often searched for job openings in her field
Eventually applied for an HR intern job Her drive, determination & hard work
impressed her boss & helped her go from intern to full-time, permanent employee
Today, she works as an Employee Experience Coordinator (source: TalentEgg)
18
Real Stories of Transitioning
Paul Sevcik accepted an internship with The Gabriel Institute
When the internship ended, he accepted a position with another company & found that he was unhappy after 90 days
After quitting his new job, he asked the CEO of The Gabriel Institute out to breakfast the next morning
19
Real Stories of Transitioning
His internship was reignited with the possibility of temp-to-hire
3 months later, he became a full-time employee
He’s now the Client Services Manager (source: Internships.com)
20
Real Stories of Transitioning
Within my own company, Come Recommended, I’ve promoted several interns into full-time positions
Katie started out as our Media Relations Intern, was promoted several times, & now works as Vice President
Tessa began as our PR & Marketing Intern & is now a Senior Content Creator
21
Questions?
Heather R. Huhman Founder & President
Come Recommended www.comerecommended.com
[email protected] Twitter: @heatherhuhman
22