• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

2

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

3

Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?

1

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

2

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

3

Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Leadership

What Every Intern Gets Wrong About Landing a Job

By
Dan Bursch
Dan Bursch
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dan Bursch
Dan Bursch
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 18, 2016, 9:30 PM ET
The lecturer is always on hand if you have questions
Shot of a lecturer helping his studentsPeopleImages.com — Getty Images

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question “How do you turn an internship into a full-time job?” is by Dan Bursch, program director for MBA@UNC, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to discuss mentorship and individual success with hundreds of MBA students and working professionals. For those trying to convert an internship into a full-time job, I’ve found these four approaches to be valuable:

Listen and read between the lines
Listening might sound simple, but there are several layers to it. Certainly listen for what you’re supposed to be doing, but don’t limit an internship opportunity by only working on what was listed in the job description.

Listen to what they actually want from interns, and to the people around you—your supervisor, their colleagues, and their leadership. This will help you get an idea, not only of what they’re looking for from employees, but of the organization’s culture. By observing how they interact with one another, you can assess whether it’s an environment you want to be in long term and how you can fit in.

Adapt and stretch yourself
Be willing to adapt and show versatility to an organization. This ties back to the first point of listening: Pay attention to needs and shifts in responsibilities, and be ready to jump in. The more opportunity you have to showcase your skill set, the more likely you are to impress a broader array of people at the company.

See also: The 2 Questions Interns Should Ask to Prove They Want a Full-Time Position

While working on a project, consider reaching further. Volunteer to work with other managers to gain additional perspectives related to the project, and you’ll create a broader, lasting impression. Not only will this develop your own skills on a personal level, but it will be useful in forging your connections and opening up additional career paths.

Stay focused
It’s called an internship—not a friendship. While intern happy hours and social events can be great, don’t lose focus of the main goal: getting the job. It’s not the time to be distracted by social relationships with other interns or people you work with. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t form any relationships—rather, keep in mind that your purpose in this position is not to make friends, but to get hired. If you base your actions and decisions on that goal, you will be more likely to make the right impression.

 

Always be on
An internship is essentially an extended interview, and you have to “be on” at all times. Even if the job doesn’t work out, you can still leverage the connections you made at the organization in finding other opportunities.

Don’t get complacent because you landed the intern gig. Your managers will be looking at your entire time with the company and evaluating you on the entire experience. And understanding that is key in transitioning into that full-time job.

About the Authors
By Dan Bursch
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Markets celebrate U.S.-Iran deal as both sides confirm this time is real. Trump says oil will flow and ‘I never cared about regime change’
EnergyIran
Markets celebrate U.S.-Iran deal as both sides confirm this time is real. Trump says oil will flow and ‘I never cared about regime change’
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
2 hours ago
Oil and gas supplies could take months to return to normal after Iran deal, energy experts say
EnergyOil
Oil and gas supplies could take months to return to normal after Iran deal, energy experts say
By Cathy Bussewitz and The Associated PressJune 14, 2026
5 hours ago
Trump says a deal has been reached with Iran and orders end to U.S. naval blockade as Hormuz to reopen — ‘Ships of the World, start your engines’
PoliticsIran
Trump says a deal has been reached with Iran and orders end to U.S. naval blockade as Hormuz to reopen — ‘Ships of the World, start your engines’
By Julia Frankel, Abby Sewell, Munir Ahmed, Will Weissert and The Associated PressJune 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Social Security faces steep cuts. These senators want to bet on stocks and $27 trillion in debt to save it—but ‘the gamble does not always pay off’
InvestingSocial Security
Social Security faces steep cuts. These senators want to bet on stocks and $27 trillion in debt to save it—but ‘the gamble does not always pay off’
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Dario Amodei, Anthropic CEO
AIAnthropic
A warning from Amazon led the White House to shut down Anthropic’s Mythos model
By Beatrice NolanJune 14, 2026
8 hours ago
Vietnam has bold plans for its economic future. It will need U.S. tech, capital, and speed to make them happen
CommentaryVietnam
Vietnam has bold plans for its economic future. It will need U.S. tech, capital, and speed to make them happen
By Brian McFeeters and Vu Tu ThanhJune 14, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
Personal Finance
Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
By John W. Diamond and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
2 days ago
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
Success
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
By Preston ForeJune 13, 2026
2 days ago
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Economy
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
By Nick LichtenbergJune 14, 2026
18 hours ago
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
Energy
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
11 hours ago
The Gen Z cofounder of $1.6 billion Whop says his platform has minted over 650 millionaires—he wants to make work fun and money worries obsolete
Success
The Gen Z cofounder of $1.6 billion Whop says his platform has minted over 650 millionaires—he wants to make work fun and money worries obsolete
By Emma BurleighJune 14, 2026
19 hours ago
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Sydney LakeJune 13, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.