Ask HR: How can I ensure that I get the job after an internship?

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What you need to know:

  • But, do not be a person who has no stand. Choose to be firm and prioritise the balance between work and personal life, and boldly ask for meaningful work.
  • In some situations, interns get over worked, so you should be firm in the kind of work you take.
  • If you get assigned work that doesn’t challenge you, take it cheerfully while looking for better opportunities.

I would like to know, how does one gain employment after completing internship after the stipulated time frame from a leading hospital which offers training and internship? How does one avoid remaining unemployed after completing the internship and upon successful completion of the course?

Congratulations on your ongoing internship. I hope you are gaining practical knowledge that will prepare you well for the career ahead. In addition to academic knowledge, most employers prefer those who have interned, for other various. As an intern you get to sharpen important social skills like communication, listening, customer care, team work and submitting to leadership. Depending on your area of specialisation, you get to an opportunity to put theory to practice under the watchful guidance of your leader.

 Internship therefore expose you not just to the outside world, but to the world of work. As much as this is an opportunity to prepare you for employment, your focus should be on ensuring you gain the most important skills that an employer will be looking for. Being diligent, hardworking and undertaking assigned tasks with excellence and with the right attitude will not go unnoticed.

But, do not be a person who has no stand. Choose to be firm and prioritise the balance between work and personal life, and boldly ask for meaningful work. In some situations, interns get over worked, so you should be firm in the kind of work you take. If you get assigned work that doesn’t challenge you, take it cheerfully while looking for better opportunities.

Even as you intern, scan the environment for suitable opportunities. Do not wait until the internship is over. Job opportunities can emerge within the institution or externally. Look for internal job boards and follow the application procedure provided. As you network internally, ask for referrals and send your application to opportunities that match your skill. Internship is not a job, so do not get too comfortable especially when employers keep extending the engagement period simply because you produce quality work on the cheap. When you consider such extensions, do not shy away from asking for compensation to cover your basic expenses.

As an intern, your CV should be on edit mode always. Keep updating it with every new skill gained. You will find free professional CV templates online, so choose the one that most accurately expresses who you are. Extend your search to external job boards, especially those focused on entry levels, and enlist your CV.

Although at this stage you do not have much experience to show, highlight the tasks undertaken and skills gained at each stage. The final stage is to start taking a keen interest on sharpening your interview skills. Research on how to interview successfully, take mock interviews and watch videos. Enlisting the help of recruiters with key networks in your industry will be a great advantage. Finally, avoid being too choosy on where to start. At this stage, your focus should be more on gaining experience than money.

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