As soon-to-be job searchers, we college students know that an internship is the one of the best ways to get your foot in the door. Some people try to do a summer with a company that they are interested in, for one reason: to get that job offer. It doesn’t matter which year you do it (freshman, sophomore, graduated, whatever), it just matters that when you graduate, something will be there waiting for you.

With that being said, I’m gonna go ahead and be contradictory. Crazy, I know. But I honestly went into my internship with the hospital this summer having no expectations. I didn’t even have a clear idea of what my job would be, much less that I’d want to keep it. All I knew was that it fit: live at home for the summer, save up money, work at the hospital, and get experience. Then head back to the East when it’s over and get back to my other life. Perfect.

Well, now here I am, and the countdown is dangerously close to being over. Somehow June and July have made their exit and August is here. Um, how did that happen?! All of a sudden I’m handing in my request for my “last day,” and signing a new apartment lease, and starting to freak out about how the heck all I’m going to pack everything I’ve bought plus the stuff I brought. On that note, always leave room for shopping when you pack. Don’t bring so much stuff that your suitcases are ounces away from the 50-pound limit on the airline, and then buy more stuff. Really. Not a good idea.

I’ve loved my job. I was finally able to apply the concepts I studied and work in the field. It’s been a great way to see what my career could be like as a dietitian. I’ve loved being at home, being around my family, and sleeping in my own bed. Yes, not paying for groceries has also been a huuuge plus. I was sad to see my name stop appearing on the new schedule.

So, ideally, this would be the time that hints are dropped and offers are considered. This would be a great opportunity to think about what you want to say in your exit interview, and whether or not you see yourself with this position/company long term. And if you do, start crossing your fingers that the big boss sees you there too.

The other day I was approached by one of the dietitians, casually asking if I was at all interested in coming back here after my program. I gotta admit, it caught me off guard. I had forgotten that this was an internship. This was me, in my field, learning the system and how things work, and potentially lining myself up for a job. But I hadn’t seen it that way. And I hadn’t even thought about coming back, as a dietitian. With a real job, and the start of a career. The opportunity is there, and the territory is familiar (aka “home”), and it would probably make this upcoming year a little less stressful. So, where’s the catch? What’s the problem?

I never officially said “No,” because who knows what I’ll want to do a year from now. But my initial response was just that. While I’m a desert girl at heart, and prefer the West with its sunshine and mountains and deserts, I’ve had a delicious taste of the East over the last four years. I’m going back for at least one more run, and I don’t know if that’s enough. Maybe I’ll want to stay there a little longer. Maybe I’ll find something I’m more interested in than clinical work. Maybe.

But at least they offered.

Posted by Mary Ellen Nunes at 08/12/2008 10:53:31 AM