Summer Internship Program(SIP)-3 Things To Do Before You Split
Dear Summer ‘13 Intern,
The summer of 2013 is already winding down, as is your summer internship. You may have done a lot this summer - or maybe not much at all - (hopefully the former, but I realize that can be outside of your control!)
Regardless, we’re at the home stretch. And there are 3 key things I’d recommend you do before you call it a summer, split town, and get ready for the school year to start. These action items, if done right, will hopefully increase the chances of you landing the job you want after MBA.
Sure, the economy stinks. But there is still plenty of opportunity out there for smart young people who are willing to go the extra mile.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is “advice is a giver’s gift.” So here is my advice to you - which I recommend you read with a skeptical eye, and adapt to your personal situation if appropriate.
1. Have a Heart-to-Heart With Your Boss
Most bosses will schedule an exit interview with you. If they don’t take the initiative, you should. And if your immediate boss is too busy, or lazy, or whatever, to be open and/or responsive to this, try his or her boss. Keep going up the ladder until someone cares enough to grant you some time.
Use this sit down session to gather as much feedback and insights as you can. Accept any criticisms or critiques with an open mind. I would not recommend contesting any points - just gather it all in.
You’ll never go wrong asking your boss for his or her advice. Remember, it truly is a “giver’s gift” - people love to be asked for advice, and they love even more to give it. Of course you don’t need to act on all the advice you receive - but you’re likely to gain some great insights. It may pertain to company politics, or how you should go about landing a full-time position, or why you should run and not pursue a career with that company!
You’ll be amazed at what people will share if you ask for their advice and insights. Also, they’ll love you for asking.
Finally if you have a good relationship with your boss, make sure to stay in touch with them when you get back to school. Just drop an occasional note to let them know how you’re doing.
2. Schedule as Many One-on-Ones (With Colleagues You Like) as You Can
While the exit interview with your boss is a given at most companies, a final sit down with other colleagues and managers is not. You should absolutely take the initiative to schedule one-on-one sit downs with as many folks as you can. Especially those that you like and respect.
By one-on-one, it could be a formal sit down meeting in their office. Or just grabbing a cup of coffee together. You know your company’s culture best, so feel free to adapt the approach accordingly.
I should note that while you are welcome to do request a one-on-one with anyone you’d like, this will probably work far better with people you genuinely like and respect. If the thought of sitting down with a specific manager makes your stomach queasy - don’t bother. Focus on strengthening your connections with those you already like.
And as we discussed in the last section - you should definitely drop your closest connections a line when you get back to school.
3. Learn the Next Steps in the Full-Time Hiring Process
This may be a question for your boss, or for anther manager, or for human resources. It’s especially important if you are going to be looking for full-time employment soon.
Find out what opportunities are available for full-time employment. As a summer intern, you’ve got the inside track. It’s very important to take advantage of this WHILE you are still on the job! Once you’re out of sight, I’m afraid it’s far too easy to fade “out of mind” of the folks who make the hiring decisions.
So before you leave, make sure you ask: “I’ve really enjoyed my time here at XYZ Corporation, and would love to pursue full-time job opportunities after I complete my MBA. Who is the best person to talk with about this?”
Ask this to everyone you can - it never hurts - and there are multiple ways to a full-time employment offer. Many students forget that a company actually consists of individual human beings that make the hiring decisions. So what you need to do is to go find the human being(s) involved in the hiring process. Then find out next steps - and of course, ask for their advice!
Now go out and land that job! Good luck!
Thoughts, comments, or questions? Please leave a comment below!
http://www.rupeemail.com/rupeemail/invite.do?in=NTc5NTQwJSMlZTRLelJoRnFDdll4VmlETTgwQTUza3dUYw==
The summer of 2013 is already winding down, as is your summer internship. You may have done a lot this summer - or maybe not much at all - (hopefully the former, but I realize that can be outside of your control!)
Regardless, we’re at the home stretch. And there are 3 key things I’d recommend you do before you call it a summer, split town, and get ready for the school year to start. These action items, if done right, will hopefully increase the chances of you landing the job you want after MBA.
Sure, the economy stinks. But there is still plenty of opportunity out there for smart young people who are willing to go the extra mile.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is “advice is a giver’s gift.” So here is my advice to you - which I recommend you read with a skeptical eye, and adapt to your personal situation if appropriate.
1. Have a Heart-to-Heart With Your Boss
Most bosses will schedule an exit interview with you. If they don’t take the initiative, you should. And if your immediate boss is too busy, or lazy, or whatever, to be open and/or responsive to this, try his or her boss. Keep going up the ladder until someone cares enough to grant you some time.
Use this sit down session to gather as much feedback and insights as you can. Accept any criticisms or critiques with an open mind. I would not recommend contesting any points - just gather it all in.
You’ll never go wrong asking your boss for his or her advice. Remember, it truly is a “giver’s gift” - people love to be asked for advice, and they love even more to give it. Of course you don’t need to act on all the advice you receive - but you’re likely to gain some great insights. It may pertain to company politics, or how you should go about landing a full-time position, or why you should run and not pursue a career with that company!
You’ll be amazed at what people will share if you ask for their advice and insights. Also, they’ll love you for asking.
Finally if you have a good relationship with your boss, make sure to stay in touch with them when you get back to school. Just drop an occasional note to let them know how you’re doing.
2. Schedule as Many One-on-Ones (With Colleagues You Like) as You Can
While the exit interview with your boss is a given at most companies, a final sit down with other colleagues and managers is not. You should absolutely take the initiative to schedule one-on-one sit downs with as many folks as you can. Especially those that you like and respect.
By one-on-one, it could be a formal sit down meeting in their office. Or just grabbing a cup of coffee together. You know your company’s culture best, so feel free to adapt the approach accordingly.
I should note that while you are welcome to do request a one-on-one with anyone you’d like, this will probably work far better with people you genuinely like and respect. If the thought of sitting down with a specific manager makes your stomach queasy - don’t bother. Focus on strengthening your connections with those you already like.
And as we discussed in the last section - you should definitely drop your closest connections a line when you get back to school.
3. Learn the Next Steps in the Full-Time Hiring Process
This may be a question for your boss, or for anther manager, or for human resources. It’s especially important if you are going to be looking for full-time employment soon.
Find out what opportunities are available for full-time employment. As a summer intern, you’ve got the inside track. It’s very important to take advantage of this WHILE you are still on the job! Once you’re out of sight, I’m afraid it’s far too easy to fade “out of mind” of the folks who make the hiring decisions.
So before you leave, make sure you ask: “I’ve really enjoyed my time here at XYZ Corporation, and would love to pursue full-time job opportunities after I complete my MBA. Who is the best person to talk with about this?”
Ask this to everyone you can - it never hurts - and there are multiple ways to a full-time employment offer. Many students forget that a company actually consists of individual human beings that make the hiring decisions. So what you need to do is to go find the human being(s) involved in the hiring process. Then find out next steps - and of course, ask for their advice!
Now go out and land that job! Good luck!
Thoughts, comments, or questions? Please leave a comment below!
http://www.rupeemail.com/rupeemail/invite.do?in=NTc5NTQwJSMlZTRLelJoRnFDdll4VmlETTgwQTUza3dUYw==
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