Congratulations - you're halfway!
So it’s week 6 of your internship. Things have been going great. You have learnt lots and met heaps of new people. So what now?
Well, unless you were thinking of going on to more study, this is the best time to start taking steps to secure a job. After all, the whole purpose of an internship is to give you the local relevant experience that employees are after.
Work On it
Here are 10 tips that can make getting a job at the end of your internship happen:
1. Check-in with your Host Company if there is a role for you.
Let’s face it, your Host Company will spend 10-12 weeks training you in your role. You have made yourself indispensable by doing great work, turning up on time, being a great person to be around, and adding value to the business. If this is the case, why wouldn’t your Host Company want to keep you? If they let you go, they will only have to train someone else. So you are actually doing them a favour!
2. Start applying for similar roles with other companies.
The best time to get a job is when you already have one. I am sure there is a ton of psychology that can explain this, but all I know is that businesses do not like to wear a learning curve of a new graduate. They love the idea that someone else, a competitor, has trained you up for a role with them previously.
3. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date.
In Australia, your LinkedIn profile is as important as your resume. Make sure your profile is up to date with the new skills that you have learnt. Make sure you have a recent photo… of your head only, and you are smiling! LinkedIn is about careers, not education.
Be the best version of yourself
4. Make sure every person at your Host Company knows who you are and what you do.
Aussies love to refer to good people to their friends and acquaintances. If your Host Company can’t employ you, someone at the Host Company knows someone who can employ you if you’re a good person that does good work. Don’t be the best kept secret at your Host Company and make sure you are connected on LinkedIn.
5. Having lunch with someone every day.
Every day is an opportunity to have lunch with someone that may be your future employer, or will refer you to your future employer. If you are an International Student, you have probably just spent around $100,000 on an education. This is not the time to save a few hundred dollars by bringing your lunch to an internship. Sharing a meal or a coffee with someone every day during your internship expands your professional network. Don’t compromise building your network to save a few dollars.
6. Let recruiters know you are skilled up and ready to go.
You are no longer a graduate with no local or relevant experience. You now have skills employers want, meaning you are much easier to place for recruiters. Let them know about your found skills and that you are looking for a role.
Network and Demonstrate your Skills
7. Tap into your personal and professional networks.
Hopefully, you have been attending meetups and networking events relevant to your industry and discipline. If not, why not? What are you waiting for? Approximately, 85% of all jobs in Australia are filled through your network and are not advertised online. Meetups are a great way to build the exact network that can deliver you a job. Remember, no employer wants to pay a recruiter $5,000 to $10,000 for a graduate with relevant experience. Meet your future employer at a meetup and let them know you are available.
8. Get permission to show examples of your work.
A picture tells a thousand words, so the best way to demonstrate your technical ability to a future employer is to showcase your work. This includes work that you have completed during your internship. However, you must respect your Host Company’s confidentiality and intellectual property. Ask your supervisor what you can and can’t show to a prospective employer. They may allow you to simply remove the sensitive parts of the project and show the rest in a portfolio.
Expect the unexpected
9. Have your “elevator pitch” ready. Everyone you meet from now on is a prospective employer, or a referrer to a prospective employer. When you meet someone you have less than one minute to let them know why they should hire you. Don’t be the best kept secret! A well-rehearsed elevator pitch that articulates exactly who you are and what you do is how you get an interview.
10. Get feedback on your performance. No one is perfect! So, it is important to constantly ask for feedback on what you can do to get better. Show your willingness to learn from your experiences by showing that you are up for constructive feedback. Take the feedback on board and do something with it. Fill in the gaps by upgrading your understanding with self-learning if you lack technical skills. Just because you have graduated, doesn’t mean you stop learning. Life learning has been more in demand from employers of choice.
Did we miss any? We’re sure there are at least a dozen more things you can do towards the end of your internship to get that job. If you have any suggestions, please let us know. One thing is for sure though, jobs don’t come to you, you need to make it happen. Hopefully, the tips above can help.
Domenic Saporito is the co-founder of Outcome.Life and GADA Technology. Dom has started, run and sold many businesses throughout his career, ranging in industry from property to tech, and even golf! As a business owner, product developer and chartered accountant with 15 years’ experience in the recruitment industry, Dom enjoys sharing his knowledge, insights and advice with international students looking to enter the job market in Australia.
If you have any questions...
The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.
You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:
Phone: 03 8899 7424
Email: hello@outcome.life
Or fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.