Recent Study Warns Summer Interns: Don’t Act Entitled

Hoping to land a job offer after your summer internship? It’s no secret that you’re a newbie and you’re there to learn. But while interns can get an occasional free pass thanks to their student status, you still need to be on your best behavior. In fact, many will say that an internship is simply an extended job interview.

There are more than a few deal breakers that you need to avoid during your three-month stint. A recent study by Korn Ferry, a global consulting firm, found the number one performance deal breaker: entitlement. Thirty-seven percent of professionals surveyed were turned off by an intern who acted entitled. Other deal breakers (in order of most to least) included a bad cultural fit, not understanding the company, and showing up to work late or leaving early.

In contrast, about 2/3 of the professions were turned on by an intern with passion. Passion was the top attribute employers looked for in an intern–even over performance. There’s more good news: 99% of the professionals surveyed said they’d hire an intern who performs well. So keep that in mind and put your best foot forward every day on the job.

Read more about the study here.

Image via C YL/Flickr.