As the thoughts of college students across America turn to the start of another school year, a new survey has found that those who haven't considered looking for an internship could be missing out on both crucial experience and even a potential future job.
According to a new survey by CBcampus.com, CareerBuilder.com's college job search site, six out of 10 hiring managers say they are looking for college students or recent graduates to fill internship positions in the fall.
And to make the case for becoming an intern even more compelling, almost half (44 percent) said that they would consider transitioning these into full-time, permanent employees.
"It's never too early to start thinking about internships, and there are a great deal of opportunities that exist as long as you take the time to search and apply" said Nathan Lippe, senior career advisor for CBcampus.com.
"Fifty-nine percent of the hiring managers we surveyed say they either have recruited interns in the past or currently recruit interns and another 14 percent say they plan to recruit interns in the future.
"College students and recent college graduates need to take advantage of this so that they can gain hands-on experience to add to their resumes and build a professional network," he added.
Eighty-four percent of hiring managers say they will begin hiring college interns for the fall between June and September, with almost four out of 10 offering some form of remuneration for their positions.
For those who harbour ambitions to covert their internship into a permanent job, the clear message from the survey is to be enthusiastic. A third of employers say the biggest mistake college interns make that would cause them not to hire someone permanently is not showing enthusiasm for the job.
Those who go above and beyond – doing more than just the assigned task - will also stand out among co-workers and increase their chances of getting hired.
But these chances can quickly be dashed by not being punctual. While there are managers who aren't as stringent when it comes to start times as long as the work is getting done, others expect interns to be on time every day.
And with more than one in seven employers say arriving late to work is the biggest mistake college interns could make, waking up 15 minutes earlier to ensure you're on time is well worth it for a shot at a full-time position.