How to Turn a Virtual Internship into a Full-Time Job

Although networking during an internship is important, never put it before completing your work.

The quality of your work demonstrates your work ethic and  shows a lot about your employee potential and who you are as a person.

If you really want a full-time offer following your internship, prioritize the quality of your work – go above and beyond and always strive to do more than expected. Use the internship to earn credibility for your hard work.

As an intern, it’s very likely you’ll be given a robust project to complete, taking some work off of overworked employees.

It can be easy to get a little overwhelmed with multiple ongoing tasks – especially when you’re working remotely – so the best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to organize yourself and your projects.

Be sure you fully understand the project at the beginning, what it entails and what the company expects from you. That way, you’ll have a clear approach to tackle each problem that comes your way.

Utilize digital tools to help you deliver on schedule.

When you’ve got your head around your role and what you need to deliver, put together a ready-to-go template which you can then present for feedback at an early stage.

The sooner you get feedback, the more time you have to trial multiple versions before you submit the ‘perfect’ deliverable.

You’ve taken on the daunting idea of asking for help – fantastic! But in some cases, the response may confuse you.

If that’s the case, ask a non-leading/targeted question to get the full information you need.

Mention the parts you understood from the respondent, clarify the information you’ve taken from their answer, and see if that aligns with what they meant.

Together, you’ll get the full picture (and possibly an interesting discussion). The better the follow-up questions, the better the final response you’ll receive.

As an intern, you’re not expected to have all the answers. Of course, you were hired for your skills, but realistically, you’re going to be the least experienced/skilled member on your team.

So, when you’re working on a difficult project, ask for help and guidance if you need it – the team will appreciate your honesty rather than trundling through not knowing where to turn.

There is no shame in asking for help. It’s better to ask for help than waste countless hours trying to figure our how to get around a difficult topic. Have a quick chat with someone for help, it’ll be better for all parties in the long run.

Time is precious in business, and sometimes your managers and coworkers won’t be able to help you.

Try to find the solution to the problems you come across before asking for help. Do your due diligence.

If you do need to ask for help, show the person you’ve done your research and the resources you’ve utilized. Help yourself first – it’ll make you a better, more resourceful employee.

You can offer so much more to your company than your internship project.

Find ways you can help your manager or team – automating time-consuming activities like note-taking for example. Or, if your manager is swamped with a project, volunteer to help.

You can also take it upon yourself to keep team morale high by organizing some virtual activities for the team. Use your energy to nurture a happy working environment.

Landing a great internship is a privilege – let the company know you appreciate it!

Your enthusiasm will be valued by the company, and you’ll likely be the breath of fresh air a team needs. Let’s be honest, if you’re not excited to be there, no one will likely want to keep you there after the internship either.