Return offers are when you are offered another employment opportunity (either an additional internship or full-time offer) based on your performance during an internship. These typically are offered before the end of your internship.
Hit the ground running: Return offers are often decided about ½ way through your internship, so start strong. Begin by asking your manager questions like:
It’s not just the work you do, but also what others think of your work: Visibility means that people know you and the work you do and is important because your manager’s conversion decision is informed by your mentor, tech lead, teammates, and stakeholders. You are your biggest advocate. One way you can make a positive impact is by regularly documenting your progress and any minor accomplishments so you have strong talking points in your daily stand-ups or weekly manager 1-1 meetings.
Learn fast: Tech moves quickly - embrace a growth mindset and to always be learning.
When you first join your team, you’re not expected to be familiar with the entire tech stack. The first week or two may likely be dedicated to senior engineers on your team equipping you with the necessary knowledge and skills.
As you make progress on your project, try to solve more problems independently, demonstrating the ability to apply your knowledge to various scenarios and that your fundamentals are strong.
Volunteer to support/collaborate: Raise your hand to support projects outside of your direct responsibilities or projects you are interested in. Showing your willingness to support the larger team will help set you apart from other candidates.
Unlike school projects, where there’s often a clear end point, workplace projects are rarely ever “finished.” There’s always room for improvement, and innovation is essential. Stay alert for opportunities to enhance your work or bring fresh ideas to the table. This proactive approach will demonstrate your commitment to growth and make a strong case for a return offer.
Ask for feedback: Learning how to accept and implement feedback on your performance is an important part of becoming a professional. By asking for feedback, you are demonstrating your commitment to your own learning and will help you learn more about your strengths and weaknesses.
Keep track of your contributions: As an intern, you may be support on various aspects of a project. Keeping track of your projects, meeting notes, etc. all make the foundation for a productive conversation with your manager where you might ask for feedback or discuss your mistakes—both traits that demonstrate maturity, and the fact that you're willing to learn and better yourself. The Skills Tracker may be helpful here!
Build connections with your team and across the organization: A large part of getting a return offer is having your team members advocate for you. You want to give them a reason to vouch for you, and a way to make a compelling case that keeping you on board will make a real, positive difference.
Ask good questions: Asking the right questions at the right point in the project shows a high level of understanding and lifelong learning mentality. On the other hand, not asking enough questions can hinder your progress.
Keep in mind that your manager and teammates have their own responsibilities, so relying too heavily on them can be overwhelming. Beforehand, you should at least try to work through the problem yourself so that you make it easier for whoever is going to help you.
Before you ask a question, be sure to:
Show your continued interest: The halfway mark of your internship is a good time to let your manager know that you’re interested in coming back. Return offer decisions are typically made before the internship is over.
You can say something in the lines of “I’ve really enjoyed my time at [company] and would love to return after graduation. Is there anything I can improve on to earn your support for a return offer?”
There is a lot more that goes into return offers aside from performance: such as headcount, strategic expansion plans, etc.
Focus on what you can control, such as your performance and your attitude throughout your internship. Working well with your manager and other interns on your team, meeting deadlines, and effectively demonstrating your technical and problem-solving abilities.