Should you intern if you’ve already graduated? This is a question I get A LOT. And I get it. You feel like if you’ve graduated you should get a job immediately. Which is great if you can. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you just can’t get a company to take a chance on you. But you might be able to get a foot in the door if you intern for them first. 

Internships offer pools for employers to find entry-level employees. Even if you haven’t graduated yet. It doesn’t matter! It’s not a guarantee you’ll get a job after the internship ends (more likely than not, you won’t), but you’ll gain experience, connections and more. 

An internship is great because it’s similar to having a job but without ALL of the stress of a full-time job. It’s an opportunity to learn as much as you can. It’s an opportunity to make a positive impression and build up contacts that can potentially help you when you’re looking for a full-time job. Internships prove that you can do the work and they give you resume experience as well as real-world work experience.

Internships can sometimes lead to jobs. Not always but they CAN. Which is why you want to approach internships as you would a job. Which is why you need to take it seriously: 

• In your interviews, be buttoned up. Do your research and find out the type of work the team you’re interviewing for the internship does. Don’t ever go into it asking “So, what do you do.” Instead ask, “What does the internship entail? “What does an average week look like in the internship?”
• Don’t ask about money or hours or any of that until you’ve got the offer.
• Share how excited you are for the opportunity.  
• Follow up with links and relevant examples of your school work. Write thank you notes. 

Good luck! As always, email me if I can be helpful kickassinyourlife[at]gmail.com.

Go kick ass in your internship!!

xx

Laura