Pre-employment internship: reality or utopia?
According to the 2017 barometer conducted by APEC, 82% of recent graduates found a job one year after graduation. Of these, more than half are in management positions. These are exciting figures, but they hide another reality: only 8% of them got a job after an internship! In fact, the majority of young graduates would have signed a fixed-term or permanent contract after two and a half months of job search. However, there is one consolation for business and engineering students: the percentage of young graduates who have joined a company after an end-of-year internship has risen to 30%. So how do you get your internship to lead to a job? Pre-employment internship, follow the guide.
HR Strategy
Before taking the plunge, don’t rush!
Because an internship can lead to a first job, it is essential to pay special attention to your internship search. Make sure you find out about the company, its sector of activity, its values, but also about your position and your missions. The choice you make is decisive, so it’s best not to rush! To avoid disappointment or waste of time, remember to consult or ask for the rate of transformation of the internship into a permanent contract during the job interview.
What do you need to do once you are in the company?
ADOPT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TO CONVINCE
Got that junior consultant internship you’ve been dreaming of? Congratulations, this is a first step! Although the internship will allow you to complete your training, especially by helping you acquire new skills, don’t be satisfied with just learning.
If you want to be hired, act like a real employee!
Adopt the company’s codes (in other words, the “savoir-être”), integrate yourself into the team, be proactive by showing initiative, make tactful suggestions if necessary… In short, demonstrate your motivation. Often perceived by the company as a trial period, the end-of-study internship allows managers to test and evaluate the student’s skills and interest. It is up to you to make a good impression every day by being dynamic, proactive, respectful and humble.
TALK ABOUT YOUR DESIRE TO BE HIRED
This is a mistake often made by future graduates; they tend not to share their professional plans in the hope that their managers will think about them and ask for them… And if they do, it is late, a month before they leave the company.
Acting like an employee also means knowing how to anticipate and communicate your intentions!
Do not hesitate to ask your manager for monthly follow-ups to review your progress, expectations, areas for improvement, etc. At the halfway point, let them know that you want to stay with the company. Also, ask the HR department about potential internal opportunities and the recruitment process to follow. This way, you won’t waste time or energy and you’ll know where you’re going.
Use this experience to bounce back
And if you are not confirmed after your internship, be sure to ask why. It does not necessarily depend on your skills or your interpersonal skills but sometimes on the company’s recruitment needs. If your internship went well, don’t hesitate to ask for a letter of recommendation or a recommendation on social networks for your future job searches. And never leave angry at your employer. The professional world is a small one and you may have to approach or cross paths with it in the future.
It’s up to you!
At Sqorus, we encourage hiring at the end of internship periods. So don’t hesitate to apply to our internship offers or contact our former interns.