DEAR HARRIETTE: I want my internship to extend into a full-time job. I have been an intern at this company for six months, and I hope that they see potential in me, which is why they keep me around. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask my boss where they see this internship going? I don’t want to waste time as an intern when I could be applying for other jobs. -- No Job Offer, Cincinnati
DEAR NO JOB OFFER: Internships are designed to be opportunities for students to get on-the-job training in their field of interest. It can be like an apprenticeship. And it’s normal to think that there is potential for an internship to turn into a job, especially if the intern is about to be available -- i.e., no longer in school.
By all means, go to your boss and pitch yourself for a full-time paid job at the company. Rather than asking where they see the internship going, tell them where you envision yourself within the organization. Pitch your skills and abilities, and remind your boss of specific examples of how you have helped the bottom line during your tenure as an intern. Ask directly if the company will consider you for a position in the coming months.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)