{"id":8017,"date":"2017-12-28T17:10:57","date_gmt":"2017-12-28T17:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monsterindia.com\/career-advice\/5-step-plan-to-use-your-internship-to-get-your-first-job-8017\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T13:59:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T08:29:57","slug":"5-step-plan-to-use-your-internship-to-get-your-first-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/5-step-plan-to-use-your-internship-to-get-your-first-job\/","title":{"rendered":"5-step plan to use your internship to get your first job"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"5-step<\/span><\/p>\n

If you thought internships were only about photocopying, making coffee and running errands, think again. In today\u2019s workplace, an internship can be a new graduate\u2019s best friend. Your first real-world work experience gives you a chance to gain new skills, develop a strong CV, provide an introduction to the industry’s etiquette and culture, \u201ctest drive\u201d your career and get you a good reference. It can also function as a training camp for your first job or future employment.<\/p>\n

In Dubai, a new regulation that allows university students to legally hold paid part-time jobs<\/a> in numerous companies across nine Dubai free zone clusters has sparked a growing interest in these programmes. The benefits of an internship are manifold — it offers you the chance to develop the building blocks you need for your career. Many companies often use internships as a tool to test future employees and often end up hiring their interns.<\/span>
\n
\nA Harris Interactive survey of more than 2,000 college students and 1,000 hiring managers for textbook company Chegg revealed that more than 80% employers want new graduates they hire to have completed a formal internship. Many big companies reserve 40% of entry-level jobs for student interns.<\/span>
\n
\nDan Rosensweig, chief executive of Chegg, has likened an internship to a \u201cthree-month job interview”. “This is advice that is applicable to any intern at any company. It is as much an opportunity for the company to evaluate college-level talent, as it is for the intern to evaluate potential employers and career tracks,\u201d Rosensweig has said. <\/span>
\n
\nSo, how can you use your internship to get your first job? Here\u2019s how: <\/span>
\n
\nUse the opportunity to grow your network <\/strong><\/span>
\nLet\u2019s face it: When it comes to networks, undergraduates find themselves in a spot. Connections \u2013 your parents\u2019 or professors\u2019 \u2013 might have helped you get an internship, but the real world needs you to build your own network. Ryan Kahn, recruiter, career coach and author of Hired! The Guide for the Recent Grad, believes that \u201cnetwork is net worth\u201d and recommends that all undergrads \u201cbuild relationships\u201d. As an intern you will have access to the extensive network that the staff has, so take advantage of the situation. Attend seminars, meetings and talks, and make the effort to speak to people. Over time, you may be able to network your way to a new job\/find mentors. <\/span>
\n
\nGive the internship your all<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe internship has given you a foot in the door and a leg up on the competition, but it\u2019s up to you to convert it into a job. Rosensweig believes that the \u201cbest interns are bright, naturally curious, and quickly able to build on the skills we teach them, ultimately delivering real value for our company\u201d. His advice to interns is three-fold: \u201cPursue every opportunity, earn trust by seizing the small stuff, and always be thinking of ways to remain innovative.\u201d Go above and beyond on every task and project you\u2019re assigned. This will ensure that people recognise you for your work and always have positive memories of you. <\/span>
\n
\nUse social media to your advantage<\/strong><\/span>
\nAmid the lack of extensive experience, social media can be an intern\u2019s best friend. Throughout the internship, connect with work-related people – co-workers, managers and others \u2013 on social networking sites. But use the ones you\u2019re using to show off your work personality in a serious manner. Tone down the banter, review the Instagram feed and check your tweets. Don\u2019t shy away from commenting on people\u2019s posts \u2013 it shows you take work seriously and also pop up on news feeds. <\/span>
\n
\nWork on developing yourself<\/strong><\/span>
\nInvesting in upskilling constantly is the best way to evolving and growing. Kristen McMullen, of the Charleston School of Business, suggests learning from people working at the company about the types of professional organisations they belong to. \u201cAsk to accompany them as a guest to one of the organisation\u2019s meetings. Also find out what certifications or professional development they recommend\u2026 Excelling in any profession is about continually developing yourself,\u201d McMullen has said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Express your interest at the right time<\/span><\/strong>
\nEven if you feel that you and the company are the right fit for each other, don\u2019t express your interest at any time. Experts believe there\u2019s a \u201csweet spot\u201d when it comes to exploring the chances of future work at the company with internship supervisors. Request a meeting towards the end of your internship and be direct when it comes to checking about career opportunities. Letting your manager know that you\u2019re looking for a longer relationship than an internship is important. Or else, they\u2019ll wave you out and wave in the next intern to step into the shoes you left at the door. <\/span><\/p>\n

Kahn has the last word: \u201cThe way to your dream career is not always a straight path. But what\u2019s important is that you\u2019re traveling in the right direction.\u201d An internship can help you do just that. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you thought internships were only about photocopying, making coffee and running errands, think again. In today\u2019s workplace, an internship can be a new graduate\u2019s best friend. Your first real-world work experience gives you a chance to gain new skills, develop a strong CV, provide an introduction to the industry’s etiquette and culture, \u201ctest drive\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[120],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8017","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-internships-volunteering"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8017"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20869,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8017\/revisions\/20869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.founditgulf.com\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}