How to Ask for a Full-Time Position After an Internship
Internships are hard work. If you’ve spent the last few months striving to learn new skills and make a good impression in your internship, you’re probably wondering if the effort you’ve invested is going to pay off in the form of a full-time job offer.
Sometimes, a company will offer an intern a position directly, but this is far from a guarantee. You may need to take the initiative to express your interest and find out if there’s an opening that suits your capabilities. That’s exactly what we’ll help you do with the instructions below.
What are my chances of getting a full-time job after an internship?
To understand your chances, it’s helpful to look at the stats. According to 2024 numbers from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies converted 53% of eligible interns into full-time, entry-level employees. So, statistically speaking, your chances are about 50/50. However, there are a few ways to tell if you might be more likely to land a job offer. We’ll cover those next.
Should you ask for a full-time position after an internship?
The real question is, have you earned a full-time spot? It makes sense to ask about transitioning into a full-time role, and you have a stronger chance of receiving a positive answer, if you:
- Have consistently shown up on time
- Have missed few or no days of work
- Have been enthusiastic about the program
- Have gained new skills
- Have worked well with fellow interns and other colleagues
- Have asked questions to learn as much as possible
- Have taken and acted upon constructive criticism
- Have received positive feedback on your work
- Have made a measurable impact
- Are in the final days of your internship
If most of the above statements are accurate, then you’re in a good position to approach your manager about the prospect of working for the company in a permanent role.
Related: How to Find an Internship That Will Kick-Start Your Career
How to ask for a full-time position after an internship
“So… can I have a job?”
That doesn’t exactly scream professionalism, does it? Rather than request a position outright, we’re going to draft a letter–or more precisely, an email–that expresses your interest, makes a case for your strengths, and inquires about the possibility of full-time employment. It’ll make your intentions known while remaining professional and leaving the door open for a continued positive relationship.
Follow these steps:
1. Outline your achievements
What have you done during your internship that makes you worthy of an offer to join the team? Outline these items in detail.
Your list could include things you did for the company, like projects you worked on or assignments you completed. It can also include personal accomplishments, like mastering new technical and interpersonal skills or gaining confidence in a professional setting.
2. Explain why you want a full-time job
Now is a good time to ask yourself, do you actually want a job with this company? Internships are meant to help you gain experience in careers you’re interested in, but they’re also a valuable opportunity to learn which fields are not a fit for you. It’s okay if after everything you’ve learned, you decide you’re not that interested in employment with this company after all.
Suppose you’ve decided you would like to turn your internship into a full-time job, elaborate on the reasons why. These should be meaningful points beyond the fact that you’re about to graduate and need to start making money ASAP.
What did you enjoy most about your internship? Which projects sparked your interest or passion? What aspects of the company appeal to you? How do you see yourself fitting in with the culture?
“Why do you want to work here?” is a question the hiring manager will likely ask every candidate who is interviewing for a full-time job, so it’s a good idea to offer your reasons proactively.
3. Express your gratitude
Before you broach the subject of employment, you want to thank your manager and the company for the opportunities they’ve offered you. Make your thanks as compelling as possible by naming specific things you’re grateful for.
Here are some ideas:
- Gaining hands-on experience in your desired field
- Honing soft skills like communication and problem-solving
- Working on a particular project that interested you
- Collaborating with and getting pointers from more senior team members
- A specific piece of advice that resonated with you
- Experiences that will strengthen your career prospects
It’s a great idea to thank your intern manager face to face (more on this in a moment). If you don’t get the chance to meet privately with them before your internship concludes, though, you can incorporate your gratitude into your email.
4. Figure out your alignment with the company
There are many benefits of having interned with a company–namely, that you have an “in” when applying there in the future. However, as an intern, you also have the opportunity to gather valuable intel that’s not available to outside candidates, like projects coming down the pipeline and team members leaving their roles soon, resulting in vacancies. Now is the time to use this information to your advantage.
Figure out one or more reasons why now is the right time for the company to bring you onboard, like continuing your work on a long-term project, assisting with an increased workload that’s about to occur, or stepping in to fill the vacancy left by a team member who’s getting promoted. Essentially, you’re doing part of the hiring manager’s work for them, making it easy to see the upside of hiring you into a full-time role. After all, they should select an entry-level candidate with several months’ experience with the company rather than have to start training someone with no experience at all from scratch.
5. Get some face time with your manager
As your internship winds down, there’s a good chance your manager will initiate a conversation with you to learn how the experience went and discuss your plans for the future. However, there’s also a good chance your manager is busy and won’t proactively schedule this meeting. If it’s the last week of your internship and you haven’t yet had a one-on-one with your manager to discuss the future, see if you can find an opportune time to chat with them. This is a chance to share all of the information we’ve compiled thus far and to gauge their feelings on the possibility of hiring you.
Start by stating your gratitude using the items you listed in step three. Then, explain what you’ve enjoyed about your internship experience and what you feel are your biggest takeaways. After you’ve said all this, one of two things will happen: your manager will broach the subject of your next steps, and you’ll have an opening to ask about full-time employment, or they won’t bring it up.
If it’s the former, great! Use the material you’ve outlined to elaborate on why you want to join the team permanently and the attributes that make you a strong fit. Your manager may instruct you to apply through the company’s formal application process, offer to refer you for an opening themself, or make an offer directly. If talk of a job doesn’t come up in your conversation, move on to the next step: writing an email to state your intent.
6. Draft an email
Think of this email as your formal sign-off from your internship. It’s not solely about trying to get a job; it’s also about closing out the experience on a positive note and cementing a long-term relationship you can return to. This way, even if a job offer doesn’t materialize, you can still ask your manager for a good reference when applying for other jobs, and they may even reach out to you with opportunities later on.
In addition to highlighting all of the items above, include information about your graduation date and how soon you’ll be available for employment. If there’s a specific job opening or type of role you already know you’re interested in, call it out. If not, consider asking for your manager’s guidance on which roles might be a good fit or ask them to refer you to another team that might have suitable positions available.
Email template to ask for a job after an internship
Sample email to ask for a job after an internship
Even if a job offer doesn’t come to fruition right now, don’t take it as a closed door. Keep in touch with your intern manager and any other colleagues you’ve developed connections with, as they may become valuable members of your professional network. You never know when someone you made a good impression on will stumble upon an opportunity that’s perfect for you, and the more you make an effort to nurture lasting relationships, the more likely you are to hear about those opportunities both in the near future and in the long term.
Related: How to Build and Maintain Professional Relationships
