Advice on Transitioning from Intern to Employee

In My Humble Opinion
1

So here’s the thing. I’m going to graduate this Spring with a Master’s degree in Social Work. I’m interested in large-scale organizational stuff - think business management for nonprofits.

I have a required internship three days a week. I was placed at a non-profit community-based organization that provides a wide range of services for the predominantly Latino community of an urban, high-poverty area. (’‘Placed’’ is perhaps too passive a term… the reality is I hounded the university administration until they agreed to send me there.) I started about a month ago and, as I predicted, it’s pretty much the best job ever. When I started, my supervisor said this organization has a tendency to hire interns (she herself is an intern who was just officially hired this summer) and that if I enjoy the work, and do well, I can probably get a job there once I graduate.

So far my experience has been amazing. I’ve never done work like this before. I’ve done non-profit administration and a lot of social service volunteer work but this is about directing the future of the agency through strategic planning and program development. Right now we’re trying to get a new community health center off the ground (it should open before I graduate.) We’re in the grant-writing and development phase but eventually we’ll move into implementation and evaluation. My core development team consists of the Vice President, the Vice President’s assistant, the manager of the project, and myself. It is a highly dynamic, collaborative, challenging work environment but I find the stress to be worth it for the satisfaction of using my greatest strengths to serve my greatest passions. There is really nothing about this job that doesn’t fit me.

Needless to say, I am all about strategies for landing this job. I have this philosophy that the best way to keep a job is to become indispensable. (My husband’s adviser claims that he once survived several rounds of layoffs because he was the guy who knew how to fix the printer.) It’s a challenge to be indispensable when you’re new, though. I feel more like I’m still learning to work the printer, much less fix it (Uh, I’m afraid I mean that quite literally.)

Nevertheless, it’s looking promising - I’m getting plenty of responsibility and consistent positive feedback. I’ve already made some tangible, important contributions to the agency (my letter of intent made it through the first cut of a very competitive program so I’ve been assigned to spearhead the entire effort) and my supervisor is really happy with my work. I seem to have a knack for this, and I think I’m going to get really good at it. Even better, she likes me. We all like each other.

Even though graduation is 7 months away, I’m going to have to start planning to secure a job pretty soon. I’ve had jobs before but this will be my first career move. I’m not even positive when I should start looking but it seems like January is about average for most graduating students.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I don’t want to spend months looking for a job if I already have one. I don’t know the proper protocol for approaching something like this. I want to approach it with a lot more bravado than I feel, essentially in the most competitive way possible, because I’m not just looking for some job, I’m looking for an opportunity for professional development. I’m not expecting to run the place on my first day or anything, but ultimately I do want to be a leader in my field. My supervisor has a bachelor’s degree and is already in a management position so I don’t think that’s an unreasonable goal, especially at this agency which is expanding by the minute.

My biggest question is: When? When to bring this up for serious discussion? I have to start looking for a job in December or January, so I was thinking of bringing this up in December for employment in early May. Is it too soon? Not soon enough?

My other question is: How? How to approach this without tipping my hand? Who do I approach first? Should I do it casually or formally? How do I make a strong case for employment so that I have some negotiating power? I’m inexperienced, yes, but I’m smart, well-educated, hard-working and passionate, and I don’t want those strengths to be overlooked.

Any and all advice, anecdotes, experiences welcomed. Especially if you can come at this from the perspective of a hiring manager. If you were a manager, what would make you want to hire an intern?

Thanks,

Christy

2

That all sounds promising.

Help me understand: what’s keeping you from approaching the key decision-maker and asking them what their needs are, stating your explicit interest and asking how best to position yourself?

In other words, Rule #1: remember to ask for the business; i.e., always make sure to make your objectives explicit. People can’t help you unless they know you are looking for help.

If not the decision-maker, is there anyone who is close to the decision-maker who could coach you?

In terms of your questions When? and How? - it really depends on that particular situation and the decision-makers involved; there is no set, right answer.

Best of luck.

3

Overall internships are great for both the company and the intern. It’s like a several month interview process. The company has lots of time to decide if the intern is a good fit for the organization and for the roles they need to fill. Conversely the intern also can get a good feel if the company or organization is going to be a good fit for them as well.

I would suggest that you be very direct with your supervisor or if there is someone else that you interact with in HR as an intern coordinator about your desire to pursue a full time position with them upon the completion of your internship and graduation. I’m not sure I understand your concern about “tipping your hand”. Trust me, they have watched you work. They know or should know your strengths and weaknesses. If there are other strengths that you haven’t been showing them in your internship, then you’ve broken the first rule of being an intern. I would be frank that you are going to begin searching for a full time position soon and would want to be considered for a role with their organization. Ask what’s the best process to accomplish that. Be sincere. Either they are hiring full time positions or they are not. There’s no need for games or upper hands.

Best of luck.

4

Haven’t seen you round these parts in awhile!

Perhaps I’m mistaken, but it seems like the job would only come down to whether or not they have the money to pay you. In virtually every nonprofit I’ve volunteered or interned with, it came down to just that: if they have the money, they want you. But often they don’t have the money. It doesn’t seem to be as though there are multiple interns competing for a few spots, it’s just you. Given the history outlined, it also seems unlikely that they would hire from the outside; if they were doing any hiring, it seems they’d just hire you.

As far as dates/times, doesn’t that just boil down to when they get their budget? Perhaps sniff out when they get their budget and when the grant(s) come in. Before then would be premature. If their funding is guaranteed for the next year, why not bring it up when you feel comfortable in your role? YM will V on the last one.

5

Welcome back, BusyOlives. :slight_smile: At the places I’ve worked, my direct supervisors were always very interested in that whole “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” type of thing (even when I wasn’t!) So I would think that they’d be very happy to hear how much you like working there and how you see yourself staying on full-time once you’re done with school. It’s not like you have to make some big declaration right now, but being clear and up-front from the beginning that this is your goal should work in your favor. People very much like to hire candidates who are a good fit both ways - that they’re happy with you AND that you’re happy with your job.

6

Yeah, I apologize that wasn’t clear. All I’m saying is I don’t want to appear so desperate to work there that I can’t negotiate my salary and benefits. This is the sort of place that tends to take really good care of their employees so I don’t really feel any real threat of being underpaid (well, not any more underpaid than your average social worker anyway), but they always say ‘‘negotiate your salary’’ so I’m trying to make sure I do that.

Yeah, I said on the first day that I was happy to know they hire interns, but I figured I would give them some time to get to know me before I brought it up in a serious way. Nobody will be surprised though, since it’s pretty much a lovefest every day.

‘‘Thanks for all your hard work! You did an excellent job today!’’
‘‘My pleasure! I’m absolutely thrilled with what I’m doing.’’

Etc.

I just wasn’t sure what length of time would be best to wait to bring it up again. I’ve only been there one month. I thought at least some additional time would really solidify the chances that they would hire me. But you’re right, it’s probably going to come down to the budget. Which means they may not even have an answer until they know what the budget is. Which means I might be writing grants for my own salary, in a way, so I better do a good job!

7

While your intentions are solid - it is always preferred to go into a salary discussion with some leverage and being able to engage in a negotiation - that typically isn’t the case in an intern situation. Meaning - if they offer you full-time employment and it is the great opportunity you think it is on your path to becoming a professional in this area - just take the job. Worrying about negotiating is something that happens after you’ve established your value in the marketplace for a specific skill set.

If, however, as an intern, you show them that you are exceptional and have opportunities to go elsewhere, you may have some leverage. But you can’t lie about it (“I’ll take this other offer if you don’t increase your offer” when there is no other offer) because it can backfire on you or if found out will lead to bad things.

In summary: it sounds like this is more important as a first step on a career path you care about that it is an opportunity to get negotiations practice. My $.02 on very limited info…

8

Right. When I was at a nonprofit immediately after graduation, several weeks in my boss approached me with “you are amazing and wonderful and I don’t know what I’d do without you”. I joked back, saying “make sure you tell HR, they have my funding!” :D. My boss, while melodramatic, is her own best cheerleader, and did tell HR and anyone else who would listen. I got quite the reputation, and I ended up being the poster child for the program. I was the only intern extended a full year beyond the original 3 months (cruelly, in month 5, the philanthropic foundation yanked back all the $ for the internships they were funding. Regardless, I was last on the chopping block!)

Don’t underestimate the role you have in writing the grants and factoring your workload there. Like you said, you’re already trying to make yourself indispensable in their minds. Just make yourself indispensable on paper! Any language like “a five member team would best facilitate” blah blah blah.

9

As other posters have said, it’ll basically come down to, do they have the money? If not they’ll just get someone else. The job market is such, people are lining up for jobs it’s a lot easier to hire another intern.

You are never going to be indispensable, a lot of people think they are, but when they die, life goes on just fine.

The most important thing is this, you will be in need of a job soon, and while you must not stop trying to get this job, you need to be focused on getting ANY job.

This means you should be apply for jobs already to other places.

Most copanies use Sept and Oct to plan their budgets for next year, and few companies will be hiring till January 1st. Most of them put it off till the new year if at all possible.

So while I wouldn’t stop trying to make this a permanent type thing, do not stop looking elsewhere. You shoud be trying to get interviews right now for 7 months from now.

10

Food for thought.

Are you saying there’s not a Family Circus for this? :wink: