Completing an internship can give college students more than experience – it can also be the ticket to a job offer. Nearly six-in-ten hiring managers say they are likely to offer a permanent position to a college graduate who interned at the organization and performed well.
“Internships offer college students a great alternative to part-time jobs,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CBcampus.com. “In addition to offering real-world experience, 83 percent of employers say they typically pay their interns, with 37 percent paying more than $10 per hour. The key is to treat your internship search with the same professionalism that you would if you were looking for full-time employment.”
Haefner offers these tips to help students prepare for the interview.
1. Don’t wing it. Never show up to an interview unprepared. Spend a few hours scouring the company’s Web site to get a feel for the company, their product and their industry. Then, jot down answers to common interview questions to help you organize your thoughts and ease your nerves.
2. Dress the part. Any time you meet with a prospective employer, it’s crucial to dress professionally. Invest in a good quality, conservative business suit and shoes that you can wear to multiple interviews.
3. Be on time. Showing up late to an interview tells the interviewer that you are apathetic and irresponsible. Plan ahead for traffic, and aim to arrive 10 minutes early.
4. Ask questions. Asking intelligent questions is a great way to show off your company research and stand apart from the competition. Ask about work culture, the industry or specifics on the position, but steer clear of anything involving compensation until after you receive an offer.
Survey Methodology The survey, "Intern Hiring," was conducted from June 6 to June 16, 2006. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 1,000 hiring managers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 3.65 percentage points (19 times out of 20).
About CBcampus.com
CBcampus.com, the hottest place for college students and alumni to find cool jobs, is a division of CareerBuilder.com, the nation’s largest job site with more than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.5 million jobs. Job seekers can quickly target opportunities for their major and experience-level from the nation’s top employers. They can also post resumes, get the latest news on companies and industries, sign up for automatic job alerts, view local career fairs and tap into advice on everything from writing resumes to on-the-job success. For more information, visit CBcampus.com.
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