print email stumble Digg

Job Search Tip: Try an Internship

Peter Legge

| May 23, 2010

Image by: Flickr / divemaster

Show your value to a potential employer by volunteering for an internship.

Internships can help showcase your skill set and help you network your way into a job opening.

A young lady recently emailed me. She'd been six weeks, trying to find a job, and she was having no luck. She asked me for a bit of advice. Here's what I told her.

Dear ________:

I don’t know what your skill set is. This is a wild suggestion, but it might work. Find a company you would like to work for, visit with their manager or HR individual, and offer to work full time for six weeks absolutely free. Get a commitment from them that if you outperform, they agree to hire you, no strings attached. Then, be willing to do infinitely more than you’re not being paid to do; get in early, stay late, make yourself indispensible and have them think, “What would we do if we didn’t have ______?”

Stay persistent! Stay confident! and keep your can-do attitude!

Peter Legge

Tags
- Peter Legge,
- Job Hunting

Stay persistent! Stay

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2010-06-02 21:58.

Stay persistent! Stay confident! and keep your can-do attitude i love the sentences

I appreciate your comments

Submitted by peterlegge (not verified) on Mon, 2010-05-31 09:51.

I appreciate your comments and observations. Yes, it's a tough economy and no way is the perfect way, this is just one way. But please don't hide behind Anonymous. PL

So-skip the companies with

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2010-05-25 17:56.

So-skip the companies with unions, because they do not allow anyone to work for free. Now, from there look for companies that blatently exploit people for free work-they will give you the short term experience you so crave. I am sorry, but Mr. Legge's advice is extremely out of date. Try Social Media.

I have tried this tactic.

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2010-05-25 15:59.

I have tried this tactic. It worked once in 1984. Last year when I was an unemployed CGA, the HR people said no way, we can't do that....other employees become afraid that they might lose their jobs or be asked to work for nothing. This is a very tough economy.

Bold Peter, but this

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2010-05-25 15:12.

Bold Peter, but this technique can be incredibly effective for those just starting out. My concern comes when we consider the needs of some job seekers (IE: to pay the bills). Six weeks without a paycheck can sink an individual who doesn't have proper support or savings.

Opinion

Blogs