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Real Story: Transitioning from Intern to Full-Time Employee

Note: This guest post is part of my ongoing series, “How I Scored This Gig.” If you have an amazing story to tell about how you landed your current internship or entry-level job, please send me an e-mail with a few details.

I’ve always been a go-getter. That’s why I worked hard during college—really hard. Instead of taking summers off, I used that time to gain experience in the field of PR by volunteering and interning for several organizations in the Detroit area.

As a college junior, I worked as an intern at Franco Public Relations in Detroit. Though I had to return to Central Michigan University for one final year of schooling after my internship, I was able to maintain a great relationship with the agency that eventually landed me at the top of their potential hiring list. When April rolled around and I began interviewing for jobs, I received a call from Franco offering me an opportunity to interview for a full-time position. In the end, I interviewed for the job, was made an offer and accepted the position — all before I finished up final exams at CMU!

Here are some tips to help your chances of turning your own internship into a full-time gig:

Build Your Professional Value: During my senior year of college, I really kicked my professional development up a notch. I made an effort to attend as many conferences, workshops, seminars etc. as possible—even out-of-state ones in San Diego and Chicago. These were great events that helped me learn about the industry while building my network. I also increased my dedication to my own blog, www.inthelede.blogspot.com, which in turn connected me with other great people while getting my name out there. Finally, I utilized social media and an online portfolio for personal branding and worked to position myself as a leading candidate among job-seekers.

Demonstrate Growth: My situation was kind of unique because I had a year of schooling between my internship at Franco and my full-time start date. However, demonstrating your growth to your employer is really important when looking to make the transition to full-time. Think about how you have grown personally and professionally and find a way to communicate this. During my interview for the full-time position at Franco, I made sure to point out key areas of growth and new experiences I’d had since my internship ended. This way, you can show you’re  ready and able to take on new and greater responsibilities.

Maintain Your Bridges: Ok, we all know the saying about burning bridges, but we can’t forget that bridges also need occasional maintenance, right? It’s important to stay in contact with old co-workers and supervisors. Not only will this help with building great friendships, but it will keep you on their radar. When I was home for winter break, I asked to meet up with some of the account managers for lunch. It was a great opportunity to catch up with them and to learn about the agency’s plans for the future.

So despite everything being said about the economy and unemployment, there are jobs out there for the taking. You just have to work hard, do the right things and eventually something WILL come your way.

Angela Hernandez is a public relations professional at Franco Public Relations in Detroit. She was an honors student at Central Michigan University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in integrative public relations and a minor in leadership. She was the 10th recipient of the prestigious Lem Tucker Journalism Scholarship, and currently serves on the selection committee for the annual award. A member of Social Media Club Detroit, Angela has a thirst for knowledge and a drive to stay ahead of the game. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and playing tennis. You can follow Angela on Twitter at @AngelaHernandez.