The end of summer means saying goodbye to longer days, flip flops and for some, an internship. Whether you’re looking to complete hours required for your education, or you just wanted some extra exposure in your field of interest, summer internships provide great on the job experience ahead of joining the workforce full time. Internships can also help you decide if an industry is right for you, or if you’re better suited for something else before committing and dedicating time to build the start of your career.

Whether you’re headed back to class or are at the start of your journey in the workforce you might be wanting to land a position after your internship, especially if you just spent time at a dream job. When you’re just starting off and trying to find an entry-level position, you want to make sure you’re prepared and set up for success in order to stand out from your competition. Luckily, having a summer internship just wrap-up is a huge benefit that can be leveraged to land your first job. Here’s our recommendation on ways to better your odds of landing a job after your summer internship.

1. Follow Up With Your Internship Employer

Assuming that you left your summer internship on good terms, we always recommend you keep in contact with your direct supervisor. Aside from this person being your manager, they also either directly or indirectly played the role of a mentor while providing you with your on the job experience. If you haven’t already done so, sending a follow-up email thanking them for their time, shared knowledge and the overall experience is a way you can leave a lasting impression with them. In this email, you can also share some of the learnings you gained and the skills you developed during your internship, and even inquire about any current or future opportunities that may become available. If you left a good impression with the company, had a great performance during your internship and were an overall good fit with the company culture, chances are they will have an opportunity for you, and if not maybe be able to recommend you for one.

2. Update Your Resume & LinkedIn

If you haven’t already done so, you definitely want to update your resume and LinkedIn with your internship position. Paid or not, the experience and skills gained during an internship are just as important to prospective employers as any other job experience. Highlight any achievements or projects you played a role in and any industry-specific skills you might have learned during your summer internship. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, now is a great time to get one started. LinkedIn really is the future of the job market and a great way to get your name out to recruiters, companies and potential opportunities. If you’re not sure where to start, you can check out our previous blogs on LinkedIn for some guidance on using the social network. Our founder Christie Lohr can review your resume and LinkedIn! It’s a service we offer. Click here for more.

3. Apply To Positions Relevant to Your Internship

Now that your resume and LinkedIn profile are ready to go, you can start to apply to jobs! Take your time to carefully go through job descriptions and learn about companies before applying so you know what you’re getting into. The best way to leverage your internship is to apply to positions relevant to what you did. Always visit Style Nine to Five for the latest in fashion and retail jobs and internships! As much as your internship experience has value within the job market, if you’re up against candidates with previous job experience it can be outweighed. Look at things like daily tasks, skills required and even the industry and try to relate your internship experience to the job description. But don’t overthink it too much, things don’t need to line up one for one because keep in mind entry-level positions are meant for newcomers to begin to build their careers.

Inspiration Images
Images courtesy of Laia Magazine

By M.J. Elle, Toronto, @TheMJElle