What's My Next Step?

I honestly can't believe I've been back at my internship for a whole month already - for better or for worse, the weeks have blended together in a way that it simultaneously feels like my first week and like I've never left. My daily routine has been finalized to the point that I can feel the difference in my schedule when I leave at 8:37 versus 8:40. There are some days when I do feel like just another cog in the machine, but they are balanced out by days of executing department parties (Party Planning Committee of One!) and variations on the standard assignments. Occasionally I am forced to spice things up with ham on my sandwich instead of the regular turkey - hey, you have to find variety somewhere! Honestly, I am having a great summer and feel truly lucky that my bosses ask a lot from me. While a few of my coworkers have mentioned the possibility of returning to the company next summer as a full-time employee (and yes, the possiblity, as in, "We have no control over this, but we like you and hope you like us, too!"), it is an awkward situation to navigate.

First, let me preface this with saying that, no, I am not delusional. I realize that it is a lot harder to get a job than someone at the company expressing their interest in you. This, however, has been on my mind lately and figured this would be a good place to process my thinking. Moving on...

When my coworkers have brought up the possibility of returning to the greater company that I work for (not just necessarily the brand where my current internship is), I have found that it is hard to figure out the "correct" reaction. My experiences here have been fantastic, but my only two summers of real-world work have been at this company. Part of me wants to diversify and explore what other companies have to offer. Part of this reasoning is the classic "The grass is always greener on the other side" mentality; as in, this has been great, but what if something out there is better? Then again, they also say not to put all your eggs in one basket, but that's enough idiomatic parables for today. My current game plan is to express as much interest as possible because there is nothing to lose. I do a little self-censorship in that I choose my words carefully as I would never want anyone to think that I assumed a future job is guaranteed.

For example, one of my standard responses: "I would love to have the opportunity to return to the company. I've really learned so much and it would be great to see how the recent changes help the brand!" (Or something.)

This, I think, is a lot better than: "Yeah, I know this gig is great and stuff, but I want to look at other places, too."

That may seem like a no-brainer, but here is some other advice for how to approach the next step:
1. Schedule a meeting with your HR representative before the end of summer. Mine is already scheduled for August and I'll be sure to update with advice from the conversation. I see this as a great chance to network with someone who will be directly working with my resume in a few short months.
2. If you think it's appropriate, give your resume to a coworker or two. They can help you brainstorm your strengths and show you how to highlight the assignments that you worked on throughout the summer.
3. Take a coworker (or someone you know who works in your industry) out to lunch for a job Q&A. It's not necessary to grill them with questions, but get a sense for where they were when they started out and what to expect in the next year.
4. As I've said before, at the end of your internship, share your contact information with your coworkers. Also be sure to get theirs to keep in touch over the course of your applications and such.

Hope that helps... Remember, I'm still navigating this, too, so any advice you'd like to add, let me know!

Rebecca