How to Get hired By aCompany

How to Get Hired by a Fortune 500 Company Before Leaving College

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Everyone with a diploma in their hand wants to turn it into gold. Working for one of the Fortune 500 companies can certainly help make this wish come true. The question is how do you get hired? Most students will be surprised to learn that these successful organizations employ internships and student co-ops as an integral part of their hiring methodology.

Step One … get your stuff together.

Students can easily find information on Fortune 500 employers on the internet. The majority of these websites have employment information on them and most also have an area for students to review concerning internships. What is really cool is that these companies generally pay their interns for learning their business! But before a student can apply for an internship, they must have their transcript information ready for submission. Beyond that, the student should prepare a cover letter which details why they wish to receive an internship and what they hope to gain from the experience. Letters from organizations in which the student has participated in an extra-curricular capacity are very useful as well. Click here to see the complete list of Fortune 500 companies.

Step Two … get clear about what you’re after in an internship.

Many students fail to grasp the purpose for gaining experience in an internship program. The experience is aimed at improving and utilizing the knowledge and understanding a student has gained while in college but it is also for the company to get a good look at a potential employee. To this end, the student should not accept internships from organizations that are not a truly good fit for their career goals. The student should examine their short and long-term employment goals, understand as much as possible about the corporate culture to which they are applying for the internship, and make sure there is a good fit between the two.

Step Three … get the word out.

By applying online, many students find the process of getting into an internship program much easier than in the days before the internet. Being able to email information and complete applications online speeds the process up significantly. Students should begin looking at internship programs during their junior year, as many companies look for interns between their junior and senior year of study. Since Fortune 500 companies attract a lot of attention from college placement offices and college students in general, it’s important for a student to get their name in the race as quickly as possible to receive serious consideration by the company.

Do Fortune 500 companies differentiate between online and traditional degrees?

No. Employers are looking for the best candidates to fill their open positions, regardless of the source of the education. All of the employers require the institution granting the degree be either regionally or nationally accredited. The real dividing lines are GPA and student experience. Most programs require a 3.0 GPA. Being involved in a school organization is good; but being the President of the organization is better. Employers are looking for people who can take responsibility, communicate effectively, and complete tasks with creativity and diligence. Extra-curricular activities provide employers insight into a student’s development outside the classroom.

What to expect from acceptance to an internship.

Expect to be exposed to a variety of people, places, and things. Many of the people are there to assess skills, intelligence, compatibility, and work ethic. The places the employer exposes the student intern to help establish the intern’s ability to adapt to new environments, processes, and changing conditions. The “things” the company utilizes to train and assess the intern can cover a broad range of paperwork, equipment, proprietary computer systems, and other operational aspects of employment.

Is an internship only about learning?

Yes, but most internship projects are also about doing. Many times, interns are asked to study projects, issues, and areas of operations which the company hopes to improve or better understand. The company uses students to bring in new concepts and ideas about problem-solving, improving efficiency, and creating a better working environment. Students are frequently tasked to conduct research, gather and distribute information, or observe and report on company processes.

What if the company doesn’t have an internship the student is interested in?

Most organizations in the Fortune 500 value the input and knowledge college students bring to the table. If there is no area of study for a student desiring to intern, then the student is free to discuss the situation with the company’s representative. Students shouldn’t be afraid to make suggestions and ask questions; after all, that’s what they are there for.

Can a student count on an offer of employment after graduation?

Unfortunately, students are not guaranteed a job after graduation; however, most companies will make a commitment to the student if they like what they see and are pleased with the results of the interaction between the student and the company. Conversely, a student is not obligated to take a position with a company after completing an internship. This situation provides the student an opportunity to confirm or deny their anticipated career choices after graduation and the experience is an opportunity for the student to assess their involvement and decide independently what the best path is to follow.

Luck favors the prepared.

With a struggling economy, high unemployment, and vast number of college graduates seeking to fill jobs as soon as possible after graduation, the individual student can gain a real advantage over their competition by seeking out and engaging in an internship program. Successfully completing an internship will go a long way toward helping a student network within the industry and, more importantly, the company, which can only help in securing a permanent job offer. Planning ahead, making contact, getting involved, and ultimately finding a quality position which will launch a career takes diligence, application, understanding, aggressiveness, and a little bit of luck.