Internship or One Year Interview?

INTRODUCTION

What is the value of an internship? What is the point? 1000s of curious university students debate the idea of an internship typically one or two years into their course. The majority promoting themselves with the standard “An enthusiastic undergraduate desperate to join your organisation”. With any point of difference being which university the student belongs to. This gets tiresome, very quickly. I am writing this blog as someone who has been through university and has undertaken an internship; wishing to share my tips on achieving an internship, how to make the most of it and also re-aligning yourself post-university.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin

Landing an internship is all about preparation. Whether you are at the application stage, telephone interview or assessment centre, success comes hand-in-hand with preparation. Knowing what to respond with during scenarios is fundamental to creating the right impression. Every recruiter will have different expectations, but it is about coming away from these opportunities sharing your knowledge and personality. The importance of leaving your mark cannot be stressed enough. This can come in many ways; think about unique work experience opportunities or out of the box life experiences that you would mention to your mates at a party after a few beverages. But you would be surprised how many internal recruiters not only remember you, but probably think ‘i’m keen to know more about him/her’. Of course do the basics, bring to the table key learnings from your university degree and topic area, although don’t use a university module team for every question associated with “can you name a time where you have been part of a team…?”. Recipients get bored, they are looking for the Va Va Voom. Skills and teamwork packaged into a concise engaging example. I would suggest writing your answers to generic application questions in bullet point format. Then write and speak your responses to a friend and see if they stay awake. If they don’t at any point raise an eyebrow, then go back to the drawing board. In these situations you don’t have time to twiddle your thumbs; it is all about delivery. Creating a lasting impression is critical.

Particularly in assessment centre situations, preparation is arguably even more vital. Purchasing a smart outfit, polishing your shoes, getting a haircut and learning your typical answers to interview questions are the basics. What are you taking to that physical meeting that will make you come across as 1) organised and 2) intriguing. It is competitive out there, don’t waste your time doing the basics and using all that energy at an assessment centre if you are ultimately going to come across as average. Prepare your point of differentiation. Come to the interview with examples of your work, radical answers to generic interview questions or even a critique of campaigns/work the recruiting organisation has published. One friend who applied for an assessment centre at the largest retailer in the UK, had the task of bringing to her assessment centre a “3D CV”. In short, this is defined as a physical example of something that represents who you are. Innovatively she ‘borrowed’ a shopping basket and filled the basket with items ranging from a Slinky (flexible/dynamic) to a Storage Device (data/analytical). She achieved a full-time permanent position and now works within commercial marketing for a supermarket giant. I am not suggesting in the slightest that there is a magical remedy for securing an internship or in my friend’s case a full-time permanent position, but one clever, well-executed presentation was her gamechanger. She did the basics but brought to the table her brand in a unique way. Come prepared, it will pay off far more quickly than if you were no different to Joe Bloggs and his sister Sue.

“There is no substitute for hard work.” ― Thomas A. Edison

You have landed your internship, you have given yourself a massive pat on the back and breathed a sigh of relief that you can switch off from university work for a year. But instead -now the work begins. The opportunity opens many doors, some are more obvious than others. The chance to be a part of a live business, own responsibilities, earn some monaaayyyyy! and most importantly gain experience. These are the standard responses to why you would want to do an internship. However, I would suggest two other reasons be top of mind. Firstly, exposure to industry professionals and secondly, demonstrate what you’re all about. Working with experienced colleagues is a two part win. Learn from your colleagues how to get the best out of what you do. What are the best practises? How do other people conduct themselves? What can I do to actively add value to the business and the people I work with? Soak up the knowledge and this will go hand-in-hand with the second point. Your internship is a chance to showcase what you represent. Do you just eat the cake, or eat the cake and bake another… slightly off topic, but can your manager or colleagues see you’re willing to learn, but also add value in return. This can be through process simplification, innovative campaigns, out of the box ideas, new ways of working, data reporting and the list goes on. At the end of the day, having that human2human relationship with your colleagues and make them remember who you are. Trust me, one conversation or presentation can be a gamechanger. If you have the opportunity for an internship, take it. Achieving a position after university within a high profile brand becomes a lot harder.  Although having industry experience is invaluable to a future employer and can be gained from an internship. I would suggest you view your one-year internship, as a one-year interview. Yes - an interview. Give yourself the best possible chance to secure a full-time position post-graduation. Yes it is all about timing, headcount, budget etc. But from a career perspective, returning to your internship organisation can give you the platform for development. You are more likely to get up to speed quicker having previously worked at the organisation. Besides, even if there is no opportunity to return, you were able to get the maximum out of the internship for future businesses to benefit from. This in turn,  provides more ammunition to fire during your next job search. Remember, it's competitive out there. Plus you never know where your work colleagues will end up and what they control e.g. headcount. running a team...etc.  

Work hard, leave your mark and become early talent.

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog” ― Mark Twain             

So you’re back at university, already feeling filthy and reliant on the student loan… but in search for that graduate position. What's your strategy? Exploring Reed? LinkedIn Jobs? A scattergun approach is not going to work. Quality not quantity could not be more important here. Create that CV that makes any future employer think “This kid knows what they want”. Incorporate key learnings from your internship into new job applications. Most of all, be resilient. Keep fighting for a position which is going to give you the maximum opportunity for career development. Do not take any old job with an average salary... creating a foundation for success is paramount. Invest yourself in an organisation which presents ROI. This can be  training, career development, learning and responsibility as examples. Shop smart and push for that dream job, you can do it! One ideology I can testify works is: “Whatever you put in, you will get out”. Throughout this article, this ideology is the underlining theme. Hard work combined with preparation and fight, or what some people call “grit”, will achieve success. Identify and promote experiences gained from your internship. Selling yourself (not in the literal sense...) is an invaluable skill when applying for positions. Update your CV and LinkedIn profile to contain the key projects / skills, and references earned from your placement and note how you can incorporate these in your new job applications. Once again, think outside the box. Engage regularly with your previous managers (both direct and indirect) and outline your position and your enthusiasm to return to the business. I would even stretch to the extent of speaking with HR directly. Utilise LinkedIn and message connections regarding your intentions and why X organisation should wake up and smell your coffee. Network! Think smart and go further. What is the worst they can say? No? Keep knocking until someone decides to open the door and then take your chance. Going back to that lovely word “grit”, make sure to ride the waves and before you know it, something will drop. I used this strategy and before I knew it, I had multiple job opportunities on the table. Eventually, ex-colleagues from the organisation I was super keen to return to, actually contacted me whilst on a personal trip to Asia. Yes, timing is important, but not essential… give people the reason and you never know. Half the battle is attitude. Conduct yourself in a professional, approachable, diligent and enthusiastic manner and there is every chance of success. Keep up the fight and someone might just fight for you. View job opportunities such as an internship as an interview… and you never know, you might just land the dream job that sets you on the road to success!