How to turn your Atlanta internship into a job

Soon many students will be wrapping up their summer internships. Either they will be heading back to school or hoping to transition from their internships into jobs, especially if they have followed certain guidelines noted by employers.

Marietta-based Wellstar Health System is among the companies in the Atlanta area where an internship can lead to employment.

"We have a broad array of opportunities for students to engage in, which range from clinical to nonclinical," said Christy Rosell, media spokeswoman for WellStar Health System. "For example, there are opportunities in IT, the perioperative area of the operating room, nursing and the lab. Working side by side with WellStar team members, students get a sense of the WellStar culture. Many of them come to work at WellStar after graduation."

Joyce McMurrain, RN program coordinator for the nurse extern program at WellStar Kennestone Hospital for eight years, said, “Working with students, who serve in our nurse extern program, gives us an opportunity to help them organize their skills and prioritize. Their ability to move forward in their career goes much smoother when they’re comfortable with our system.”

So how can Atlanta interns lockdown a full-time position?

"What we're looking for when hiring is how well they work as a team player, how well they communicate and the quality of their work," McMurrain said.

"We want to see passion, a desire to serve other people and to make a difference. We're always looking for a positive attitude and a drive to learn. We want to see a spark, that they have that deep-down desire to contribute," she added.

Celebrating 51 years this month since she began her career as a nurse at Kennestone, McMurrain enjoys watching former students move up in their careers. “It’s rewarding to me to help mentor young students that are going to be nurses. I feel like a proud mama when they graduate. It’s always great to see them progress and accomplish a step in their nursing career.”

“To me, the most exciting part is when I see them hired and then I see them advance,” she added.

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Carolyn Cunningham

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