Post-College Internships Can Help Launch Careers
By SHELLY BANJO
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
From The Wall Street Journal Online
Are you a recent college grad still looking for a job and unsure of how to take the first step on your career path? Don’t rule out a post-graduate internship or temporary job placement.
Although internships are mostly known as a tool for people still in college, both internships and temporary jobs can be an efficient way for grads to test out a career. They may also open the door to a better position than you’d get as an entry-level permanent hire.
Two years ago, at age 22, California Polytechnic State University grad Nikki Jackson decided she wasn’t ready to plunge into a profession related to her major, child development. Her competing interest in business pulled her away from plans to get a master’s degree in teaching, but she says she "wasn’t getting anywhere with [full-time] job postings I was finding online."
Ms. Jackson turned to recruiting agency Nelson Staffing for a free consultation. She filled out questionnaires and discussed her career interests, and within a week took a six-month placement in the marketing department at Safeway.
A Good Fit
"I never had a specific path in mind but I knew after a month of working at Safeway, I wanted to stay there," she says. Ms. Jackson says she wouldn’t have discovered all the opportunities the company could offer through a single interview. And because she performed well on the job, after three months she was offered a higher-than-entry-level position as a pricing analyst.
If your search for full-time jobs is coming up empty, viewing a temporary placement as an extended interview may be your ticket to a dream job. You can try to land a temporary gig at a particular company by asking that company for the name of the temp agency it typically uses, says John Sullivan, a management professor at San Francisco State University.
A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found employers offer full-time jobs to nearly two out of three of their interns.
A temporary placement creates a low-risk environment to get to know a company’s culture while establishing a relationship with an employer. You can demonstrate your talents and aptitude, so both you and the employer can determine if you are a good fit for the firm.
When evaluating internships and staffing companies, CareerExposure.com spokeswoman Lisa MacKenzie cautions against unpaid placements and companies that charge for placement, because "it shows they don’t value your work." Note that internships typically do not offer benefits, but many staffing companies offer a variety of benefit options.
Stay On or Go?
Even if a temporary placement doesn’t turn into a full-time job, it can enhance your chances of securing employment elsewhere and put you in touch with people you can ask for career advice and referrals.
However, it is essential to coordinate your expectations with the company’s. Go into the internship with a specific learning plan. Midway through your placement, scan internal job postings (another perk of temporary work) and think about where you might fit in. Set up a meeting with your boss to discuss permanent employment and ask about the proper steps to take.
Ultimately, it will be hard work and tenacity that will earn you that full-time position.
Source: http://www.collegejournal.com
16/10/07
