Survey: Employers Want Fall Interns

TO-DO BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS:
 
1. Move into awesome new apartment (away from the dorms and parents)
2. Register for classes (no classes on Friday or before 9 a.m. please!)
3. Buy books (there goes $500 I'll never see again...)
4. Party with friends before classes start

Add this to your 'to-do' list: Secure an internship.

For those who believe that internships are synonymous with summer break, think again. According to recent surveys, fall internship hiring is on the rise and the opportunities are paving the way for full-time positions for those hired to do the job.

Sixty-one percent of hiring managers say they're hiring college students or recent college graduates for internships this fall, according to a survey by college job search site CBcampus.com. Forty-four percent say they would likely hire college interns as full-time, permanent employees.

"It's never too early to start thinking about internships," says Nathan Lippe, senior career adviser for CBcampus.com. "There are a great deal of opportunities that exist as long as you take the time to search and apply."

Not only do internships plump up your résumé, they can also save you time on your full-time job search. Plus, making yourself available for an internship increases your chances for hiring in the long run. Fifty-nine percent of hiring managers surveyed said they currently recruit interns or they have in the past, while 14 percent plans to take on interns in the future. Eighty-four percent of hiring managers say they will be hiring college interns for the fall between June and September.

"College students and recent college graduates need to take advantage of this so that they can gain hands-on experience to add to their résumés and build a professional network," Lippe says.

For students looking to make a little extra cash, internships can potentially replace their part-time jobs during the school year since many employers are willing to pay their interns this fall. Thirty-six percent of hiring managers say their internships are paid and 14 percent say they have both paid and unpaid positions.

To secure your internship as a full-time job this fall, follow these tips from Lippe:

Be enthusiastic.
Being energetic and showing your manager how much you enjoy your job goes a long way. Thirty-five percent of employers say the biggest mistake college interns make that would cause them not to hire the intern permanently is not showing enthusiasm for the job.

Go above and beyond.
Motivating yourself to do more than just the assigned task will make you stand out among your co-workers. If you're not convinced that managers notice your extra efforts, maybe this will help: One-in-five employers say not going above and beyond the assigned task would be the biggest mistake a college intern can make that would cause them not to get hired permanently.

Be on time.
Being punctual shows that you're both reliable and responsible. While there are managers who aren't as stringent when it comes to start times (as long as work is getting done), others expect you to be on time every day. With 13 percent of employers saying arriving late to work is the biggest mistake college interns make that would cause them not to hire them full-time, waking up 15 minutes earlier is probably worth it.

© Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2008. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority.

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