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

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How to Find Internship Opportunities

Check internship job sites – JobAndCareerAccelerator.com – YouTern.com – Internships.com – Idealist.org – CollegeRecruiter.com

Local resources – Career centers – Craigslist

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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

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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

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How I Created My Own Internship

Targeted a specific company

Drafted a proposal Approached would-be

supervisor Worked together to

create the internship

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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)

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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

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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)

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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

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Questions?

Heather R. Huhman Founder & President

Come Recommended www.comerecommended.com

heather@comerecommended.com Twitter: @heatherhuhman

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