Q. I've just graduated from college and am halfway through a summer internship. I started applying to jobs in the past couple of weeks, and I've gotten a few responses so far. One has said that after a phone interview, if I am a finalist, I will get a face-to-face interview. I'm assuming that's true for the other two.
Is there a general time frame for how far in advance they schedule in-person interviews? I wonder because I've still got six weeks left on my internship. Is it inappropriate to schedule an interview while you're still at the internship? (All the interviews would be a plane ride away.) I don't want to go against internship etiquette, but I don't want to miss out on a potential job opportunity.
LindsayA. Let your employer know what is going on.
Any reasonable employer would let an intern, who has graduated and is looking, fly for a job interview. The more advance notice they have to cover your shift, the better.
Do not expect to be paid for the time away, as paid days off other than holidays are rare for interns, but offer to make up the time on a weekend or by adding days at the end of the internship.
If you are lucky enough to get a job offer, try to hold off the employer until you have completed the agreed-upon length of your internship. Either way, enlisting the support and advice of your internship supervisors can be a great help and can keep them informed of what is going on.
The fact that other places are interested in you might tell the people at your internship that they should be interested, too.
Coming Wednesday: This journalism student's mother advises her to attach little notes explaining her clips. But the daughter thinks these will annoy recruiters. Who is right?
