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4 common intern mistakes that hurt your chance at a return offer, according to a Glassdoor expert

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Internship mistakes are a part of the learning process, but some are more serious than others and can have long-term impacts.
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In June 2021, an intern's nightmare came true.

Worse than hitting 'Reply All' on a company-wide email, an HBO Max intern accidentally blasted out an empty template for test emails to a portion of the streamer's subscribers.

In a tweet, HBO Max explained the situation: "We apologize for the inconvenience, and as the jokes pile in, yes, it was the intern. No, really. And we're helping them through it." The tweet was punctuated with a red heart emoji.

The intern's name never became public, but the error went viral and led to an outpouring of support from people across the internet sharing their own internship blunder stories.

The lesson: interns make mistakes.

Some mistakes, like the case of the HBO Max intern's email fiasco, are just learning experiences. But others could be the reason an intern doesn't get a return offer.

When companies consider making return offers, "They have to ask themselves, 'Is this intern the right fit for the role?'" Tyler Murphy, a career trend expert and spokesperson for Glassdoor, tells CNBC Make It. "They'll be weighing what that intern did really well in the summer as well as where they think the intern could potentially grow."

Here are his 4 mistakes interns should avoid to up their chances of securing a return offer:

Not doing research

Some factors that determine whether an intern lands a return offer have nothing to do with the intern at all. In fact, most of the time, securing a return offer begins in the interview process, before the intern even starts working.

That's because some companies do not have the ability to hire interns for full-time work.

"First and foremost, [companies] are going to look at the business value and whether there's actually enough work on the team … for this intern to take on a full-time position," says Murphy.

Whether a business actually has the capacity, financially or otherwise, to hire an intern full-time is something that prospective interns "should poke at" before they join the company, he adds.

Some companies will make it clear from the outset about whether their internship program is a pipeline to a job. But for those that don't, Murphy encourages interns to ask about it in their interviews.

Applicants can also research or contact past members of the internship program to learn more background about the company's history with hiring interns.

Staying in one lane

The days of interns taking coffee orders and speaking only when spoken to are over.

"If an intern is just sitting idly by, then that can be a flag to an employer," says Murphy.

Supervisors want their interns to do what they are asked, yes. But interns that secure return offers usually go a step further.

Murphy recommends that interns actively seek out opportunities where they can contribute. "Sitting on the sidelines," as Murphy puts it, waiting for the next assignment might make an intern look less proactive. Instead, once they've cleared their to-do list, interns should pitch their own assignments or offer a hand on another project or to a coworker.

"It's definitely a mistake that some interns fall into and should avoid as much as they can," says Murphy.

Expecting work to speak for itself

Bragging needs a rebrand, according to Murphy: "Don't be afraid to show off your work. That's why you're there. Companies want to see that."

The tried-and-true method of letting your work speak for itself is neither tried nor true in an age of remote and hybrid work. Murphy says that when companies operate in a virtual environment, it is harder for interns to stay visible to their supervisors. And often times, a green 'active' dot next to your name on Slack does not qualify as demonstrating productivity.

"Especially in this remote environment that a lot of interns are in, if the intern is missing in action or easily forgettable, that is a red flag for an employer," says Murphy.

To avoid getting caught "in the shadows," as Murphy puts it, interns should go the extra step of communicating their work, as well as completing it. Check in with your manager either at the beginning or end of the day to let them know what you are currently working on and what is in the pipeline.

Assuming managers know what you want

Managers, like most humans, don't read minds.

That means that managers don't always know what an intern's intentions are —and they may not even realize that an intern wants to return to the company in a full-time role.

To avoid that confusion, Murphy urges interns to "right up front, make your intentions clear to the hiring team and the manager that you are hoping to get a return offer out of this."

That allows an organization to start seeing you as a potential candidate and evaluate your performance on that basis. They may also invest more into training an intern that outwardly expresses their desire to work for the company long-term.

Asking about return offers might feel presumptuous coming from a Week-One intern who has not yet demonstrated their performance. It may also be to the intern's disadvantage to express it too early — after all, they may realize the organization is not a fit for them.

Murphy advises interns to start thinking about a return offer (and, if they want one, voicing those thoughts) towards the middle of the internship.

"That gives the team several weeks to invest in you and hopefully, give you a return offer," says Murphy.  

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