4 Steps College Students Take To Get A Job Offer

4 Steps College Students Take To Get A Job Offer Image via https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4107/5144677794_242acb13e5_z.jpg At the outset of college, internships are great because you can try out different work experiences with a low level of long term commitment. Closer to graduation, or even after graduation, the main purpose is to go from an internship to a job offer. Recently, I began an internship that went from internship to job offer in less than three weeks. A lot of it has to do with the situation, but here are four tips to help you excel around the office that really helped me go from internship to job offer. 1. Don’t Get Pigeon-Holed Into Managing Social Media Although more and more companies are hiring digital marketing talent to head up their social media efforts, many companies have still not learned how to get the most out of social media. If this is the case, you may be immediately placed as the person of authority when it comes to social media. Unless this was in your original job description, be extremely wary of getting pigeon-holed as the “social media guru.” Adding social media to your workload is not the way to go from internship to job offer. First of all, you’re not a social media guru. Managing your own personal social media does not an enterprise digital marketer make. Second, if you’re in the position of explaining social media to your boss, they probably dont understand the amount of time a robust social media strategy takes. Public engagement of your customer base on behalf of your company takes time and effort. Protect your time, and avoid dumping it into social media if it is not a core part of your job (how you are evaluated). 2. Understand the Model Along with social media, if you want to go from internship to job offer, learn how to politely say no to most tasks that are not a core part of your job description early on. Many folks from different areas of the company will ask things of you, or suggest tasks for you to do. This is natural; all your new co-workers are trying to figure out where you fit in. The key is to recognize where you can provide the most value to the company overall. In order to do this you must understand the business model of your new workplace. Dont worry, you dont need an MBA to think critically about the overall strategy of your business. Take a step back and think about these three things: what your company provides value to, to whom does it provide value, and in what ways is your company compensated for this value? To put it bluntly, how does your company pay you and keep the doors open every day? Now, put yourself into the equation and see where you fit in. Maximize your time and effort around the activities that drive this equation, and give little time to the tasks that do not. 3. Show Up Early Showing up early may be the best weapon if you want to go from internship to job offer. Take it from someone who has lived his life “not being a morning person,” getting to work early or first is a boon. Honestly, once you do it a few times, it’s not hard to wake up because the benefits are so huge. The best part is getting to ease into the day. Have a coffee, review your tasks, and evaluate how you are going to crush your day without any interruptions. Being first into the office is a magical and quiet time. Instead of being the groggy person who is bombarded with questions immediately, you get to be the person who is already in the zone when everyone else straggles in. 4. Under Promise â€" Over Deliver The most important thing about impressing your employers and going from internship to job offer is actually the opposite of what you might think. At the beginning of your internship you will want to say yes to everything like social media and end up with way too much on your plate. In case you havent picked up on it, the main theme of going from an internship to a job offer is about saying no politely, and excelling in a few areas that are essential to the business. What does it mean to excel though? Exceptionally good. Better than most. If you notice, these are pretty vague definitions. This is a good thing! Define what it means to excel, and make it a level of achievement that you can reasonably reach. Here is an example of what NOT to do: Boss: Please get me those reports by tomorrow Intern: No problem, I can get you them by tonight actually, and I will alphabetize them Boss: Ok great What is wrong with this example? The intern over-promised to impress their boss, but in reality just set a new norm. Now the reports are expected by tonight, and theyre expected  to be alphabetized. The bar for excelling has now just become the expected performance. Here is the RIGHT thing to do: Boss: Please get me those reports by tomorrow Intern: No problem boss! Boss: Ok great (3 Hours Pass) Intern: Boss, I decided to work through lunch and got those reports finished, oh and also, I decided to alphabetize them so it should be easier to find what you need Boss: Wow great job! Now, you have produced exceptional, not normal, results. Even though the results were exactly the same.  I had to learn this lesson the hard way, but it is important not to sabotage yourself. If you are truly going to put in the effort to go above and beyond, resist the urge to talk about it. Walk the walk. Remember, an internship is just as much about finding that fit for yourself as it is about your employers deciding whether they want to hire you. Going from internship to job offer is enticing because of the immediate stability, but it also has to be a fit for you too. Dont be someone youre not, and dont feel like its the last opportunity youll ever have. If the company doesnt motivate you to excel then all the tips in the world wont make a difference. If youre applying, interviewing, or about to start a new internship for the fall semester keep these tips in mind and crush it! Search through the Uloop job listings to find your next Part-Time or Full-Time employment or Internship opportunity. Employers are waiting to hear from you!