The whole "head count" thing.....

hellolin

Hi forum, I am here to discuss a situation, more typical with IT people who works as contractors, or college students who majors in IT and has been interning for a big/reputable company for a while.
This is happening to both me and a classmate of mine in school. We both started our IT internships early, he started in his second year in college, up until now and he is about to graduate in 2 month. I started my internship experiences since last Jan, which is my third year in college. We both are having amazing experiences in our internships, in terms of pay and work. The company he intern with is maybe the biggest accounting technology firms out there in the US, and he does a vital job as a SAP security intern. I intern with maybe one of the oldest and most well known website company that deals with automobiles. My point is, the companies we are interning for are all outstanding and health in terms of profit and reputation.
However, in talking with each other today, we found out that we are both in the same boat：being told by our respective companies that even though we were interning for a long time with the company, and doing a good job, and the company is making a health profit. The company don't have a big chance to bring us in as a full time employee because of "head count" issues, and our respective manager is trying "very hard" to convince his boss to give our team more "head count", so the manager can bring on temp. employees such as us interns and contractors to full time benefited employees.
My question for the forum is, have any one of you, in the early stages of your career, encounter problems like this? Really i am surprised that the word "head count" is a word that gets throw around a lot in big companies, even when they are making big profits they still don't want to hire on employees that has already been tested and trusted...at this stage me and him are both actively looking for other opportunities outside of the companies that we are interning for...but isn't this against what an internship is for a company? I thought companies, especially blue-chip cooperation uses internship position to test out young workers to see if they are a good fit for the company in the future, but why is that case not true today?

anhtran35

Simply put, the positions you both are at are not in their view important enough to retain as full-time employees. Otherwise, you both would have received an offer. Additionally, companies prefer using contractors or interns as a temporary work force that can be dismissed anytime. Or they can simply hire someone else temporarily to do your duties. Your company is being CHEAP.

hellolin

It's really sad because me and my friend KNOWS that our companies are looking to expand, yet they don't have the budget to hire some tried and trusted employees that has already been with the company for a while....and the companies we work for are very famous and reputable in their respective field as well. I thought only small businesses are always cash strap, since my company do offer great employee benefits if you are full time.

ratbuddy

I was brought in as a contractor, and was told there was no headcount available to hire me. After proving myself, I made it clear that I would look elsewhere if the company didn't want to hire me. They hired me.

Don't let them string you along. If they won't hire you, someone else will.

Russell77

Really it's big business that pulls this stuff more often than small because they have lots of choices. They also may react slower to a need. If you find another job and go it may or may not be a problem for your manager. It's always a little problem because he has to start over with someone new and the next guy might not be that good. Now if your leaving is going to cause a big problem then there will be more attention paid to the issue but it may not make a difference in upper managements eyes because at the end of the day it's always about cost. Just be very professional if you leave the best thing you can have out of that job is a good reference.

anhtran35

Your choices:
1.) Look for another job. Get a job offer. See if your present company will match. If not, you give them 2 weeks notice.
2.) Look for jobs within the company. See if your present manager will vouch for you.

fuz1on

I forced my way to a full-time salary employee position from superior work. If you work hard, they'll replace someone else and keep you.

joelsfood

This is not uncommon that a company has issues with converting an internship to a regular job. it's not just about a full time employee costing more (plus requiring benefits, etc). It's also that many companies have a commitment, internal or external, to keeping internship opportunities available. So unless profits justify increasing that department every year (or however often an internship changed to a real job), so that they could add an employee and continue having an intern position, it's hard to always hire the intern.

That being said, a quality internship is a great thing to have on your resume. So push with current company if you can, but take that resume and look elsewhere too. If you're of value to your current company, you'll be of value elsewhere.

hellolin

Hey thanks guys for the great replies. My manager told me even if they can bring me on, it will be for desktop support gig, but my goal is to become a network/systems admin type of guy, or maybe even a business analyst. I took this internship with them while in college to make sure i have at least 1 year of work experience before I graduate, not beep cause I want to do desktop support. So for the next couple month I am going to be prsuiting my CCNA and try to land a jr admin spot elsewhere. It's just that the company offer such good benefits and have a good culture, that I am afraid I won't be able to find another company in my area that's as good as this one. But why should I settle for desktop support job when I know I am smart enough to be a network admin?

anhtran35

hellolin wrote: »

Hey thanks guys for the great replies. My manager told me even if they can bring me on, it will be for desktop support gig, but my goal is to become a network/systems admin type of guy, or maybe even a business analyst. I took this internship with them while in college to make sure i have at least 1 year of work experience before I graduate, not beep cause I want to do desktop support. So for the next couple month I am going to be prsuiting my CCNA and try to land a jr admin spot elsewhere. It's just that the company offer such good benefits and have a good culture, that I am afraid I won't be able to find another company in my area that's as good as this one. But why should I settle for desktop support job when I know I am smart enough to be a network admin?

If you can find a position as a Network Administrator go for it. If you can't, stick with what you have until you do.

ratbuddy

Terrible advice. You may need to take a lower position as a way to get your foot in the door. Desktop support can easily lead to a network or systems admin position.

hellolin

ratbuddy wrote: »

Terrible advice. You may need to take a lower position as a way to get your foot in the door. Desktop support can easily lead to a network or systems admin position.

I already do, have experience as a desktop support/entry level IT for almost 1 year and half now, just getting paid as an intern thats about it. That's why I am considering leaving regardless, can't always get stuck in desktop support.

ratbuddy

You need to either get them to hire you, or take a real job elsewhere. A year is way too long for an internship.

hellolin

Yes. by the time I graduate I will be in an internship for over a year and half. Problem is this internship pays as well as some regular desktop support job out there, as I said this company is one of the most reputable and well paid companies in the area. Unforunately I will have a small chance of getting hired, as of right now as told by my mananger.

JeanM

So you have one year of IT experience total as an intern is that correct? Sometimes you need to get your foot in the door even with a position that you don't find as ideal, then work your way up.

daviddws

Welcome to the real world. consider yourself lucky to get paid for the internship. Take this experience and move on to another company. Besides even if they did hire you, people would still possibly still see you as 'the intern guy'.

hellolin

daviddws wrote: »

Welcome to the real world. consider yourself lucky to get paid for the internship. Take this experience and move on to another company. Besides even if they did hire you, people would still possibly still see you as 'the intern guy'.

I do always think that I am lucky that I got such a great internship experience with good pay, you are right, even my manager told me to use the time from now to before I graduate to find another job, and even if they do hire me, it will only be desktop support. My fear will only be the company that I will have a full time job will never be as good as this one that I am interning with.

anhtran35

hellolin wrote: »

I do always think that I am lucky that I got such a great internship experience with good pay, you are right, even my manager told me to use the time from now to before I graduate to find another job, and even if they do hire me, it will only be desktop support. My fear will only be the company that I will have a full time job will never be as good as this one that I am interning with.

Nonsense. Never be satisfied with what you have present.

Heero

anhtran35 wrote: »

Simply put, the positions you both are at are not in their view important enough to retain as full-time employees. Otherwise, you both would have received an offer. Additionally, companies prefer using contractors or interns as a temporary work force that can be dismissed anytime. Or they can simply hire someone else temporarily to do your duties. Your company is being CHEAP.

Offering a well paying IT internship with good experience but not offering the intern a job does not make them cheap. It is a business decision. The experience alone will be one of the largest things that will help OP and his friend find other jobs.

I would not suggest anyone doing an internship in IT, especially at a large organization, to expect a job at the end. An internship isn't a contract to hire. It is just an internship. Converting an intern to full time will generally end up costing the company 2-3 times a year what they pay for an intern.

Also, colleges pressure big companies to do revolving internships like this. It may not always lead to a job, but it means that there are more opportunities available for students gain real-world experience. And then the businesses like it because they get a fairly cheap student to do grunt work, and if they lose a person they can always look to the current intern to replace them. Or if they are really impressed they will offer you the job anyways just to keep you.