Help, My Company Doesn't Want to Convert Me From an Intern to a Full-Time Employee
Dear Nikki,
I’m not sure if I need advice or to vent. I have been working for an internship since September. Things have been going overall well. In November they extended my internship with talks of it becoming a full-time offer. In that review, they told me they wanted me to start doing more and creating a role for myself in the company as it is still pretty small.
Yesterday, I had my final review and they told me what I was doing with the company basically wasn’t enough to be offered a full-time position despite me having worked overtime for the past 6 weeks and coming into the meeting with a proposal for the job. After I’d gone home that day, overwhelmed with disappointment, I see my social media strategy being implemented on their pages.
I’m not sure what to do moving forward. Please help.
-Intern in Bethesda, Maryland
Dear Intern Scorned,
Vent!
Vent!
And then vent some more.
Okay. Let's walk through this and what you can do to move past this.
So, what it sounds like is you've been able to create good work while on your internship. They've extended your internship and even given you the opportunity to create a role for yourself at their firm... with little-to-no guidance on how to do that (is what I'm getting).
It also sounds like you were able to come up with something, i.e. a proposal, and even though they're using your creative work, they've decided not to move forward and hire you for a full-time position.
I have a few questions. Consider this a postmortem of sorts where you look at what could have gone wrong and key takeaways for the future.
In your first review, did they give you carte blanche, or complete autonomy and control when they told you to start "doing more"? Or did they give you any ideas of what they were looking for you to do and contribute?
Have you been reporting to anyone on a regular basis that's reviewing your work and giving you regular feedback?
Regarding the "create a role for yourself" takeaway, from what it sounds like, either you weren't given much direction on what they were looking for or they did and couldn't justify creating a new position for you based on their needs.
Could they have communicated their ASK a bit better? It sounds like it, but only you can know if they gave you ample information upfront to give you at least a set of guidelines for what they were looking for in this new role.
From the overall look of this, I get the impression that, as you've stated, this is a small company and even though they can use the work you've been able to produce, they do not have a need to hire someone full time for an ongoing commitment of work. Maybe they were looking for you to prove how you can help them in other capacities to justify adding a new full-time position? Either way, they likely just don't have a need for your marketing work long term.
So, where do you go from here?
Compile your work and build your portfolio. What you've created, no one can take from you, so find a way to showcase what you've already done.
I would let this company know what you would love to be able to help them on a contract basis, as needed, for their boutique needs. You never want to close a door that can bring you future money. Don't burn professional bridges.
Ask for references. It's important to gain something from this experience that benefits you (in addition to building your portfolio with what you've done for them).
Ask for feedback. If they haven't given you feedback on your performance throughout this time, it's vital that you take constructive criticism that you can take with you and learn from.
I know that this probably hurt you, especially to discover that they're using your work despite not hiring you. This is what companies do. They're in the business of increasing their bottom line. I know this decision likely feels extremely personal because of the relationship you've built with the company, but every interaction is something that you can learn from and take positive takeaways from.
Keep your head up. You're going to be just fine!
Chin up. You've got this,
Nikki Davis
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NIKKI
Your curly girl manager, just trying to live her happiest life!
Wife, new mom, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. with 11 years industry experience, 6 years of management experience. Manager a team of men in a male dominant industry, while being the only woman on the team. DIY fashion blogger, a self taught seamstress. Owner/Creator of a monthly subscription service, SewConscious.com.
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