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I had an internship this past summer and things seemed to go well. The main HR rep who handled our internship sent all of the interns at the end of the summer an email stating that whoever would be receiving an offer would be getting one by September 18, 2015.

However, according to some friends in the company the HR rep has told them he hasn't received the "go ahead" to hire any of the interns yet for full-time.

I'm insanely interested in working at this company and don't want to apply anywhere else. At the same time though, I don't want to be unemployed when I graduate in May and want to get a hold on this situation as quick as possible.

I'm wondering if I should do one of the following options

  1. Hold Tight
  2. Ask for an update
  3. Other

If option 2, what's a nice way to ask for an update without asking explicitly if I am getting an offer or not?

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  • I would ask for a update, not only does it answer your questions it shows the management that you want to be hired and are eager. I would not mention that you have inside information however, as this may get you or your friend in trouble. Simply ask the current status while reiterating that you would love the opportunity to work full time.
    – marsh
    Sep 15, 2015 at 14:41
  • Related - workplace.stackexchange.com/q/3245/2322
    – enderland
    Sep 15, 2015 at 15:07
  • Number 2 is probably your best. Sometimes the paperwork gets lost or neglected.
    – Lan
    Sep 15, 2015 at 16:02
  • Don’t be so sure that you've found your dream job and don't make the mistake of thinking your a shoo-in for the position. Even if you are, the offer could fall through for other reasons so you don't want to be left without a backup plan.
    – Lilienthal ♦
    Sep 15, 2015 at 16:12

2 Answers 2

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I'd go with option 4:

  1. Follow up with a statement of your interest (minus the superlatives like "insanely"), and start applying elsewhere.

Your value in the marketplace is what anyone will pay for you. If you give a firm a monopoly on your career, you're not valuing yourself very highly. Go out there and find more firms you'd like to work with and send them your resume and followup with a phone-call, asking for interviews, informational and otherwise.

Good luck.

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    OP should take this to heart as there could be any number of reasons why an offer falls through and you should always keep your options open. Applying for multiple positions also has the advantage that you gain experience with interviewing that graduates often lack.
    – Lilienthal ♦
    Sep 15, 2015 at 16:09
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With only three days before you're supposed to hear back, I don't know that following up right now would be incredibly useful. That go-ahead the HR rep is waiting for may come in the next couple days, in time for the offers to go out. I would give them the time that they specified for them to get an offer to you, if you'll be receiving it. If, by Monday (Sept 21), you haven't heard anything, that is when I would follow-up asking if they did in fact make a decision. You aren't graduating until May, I doubt waiting a week will destroy your chances of finding any other job in the next 8 months.

As for what to say, I don't think you need to really get that detailed. Say that you know they wanted to make a decision by the 18th, but that you hadn't heard anything and are following up to see if that decision was made. It was mentioned in the comments that saying you heard things from inside the company could be bad, but I personally don't see the harm in saying you heard the decision may have gotten delayed (no need to name names).

I also want to echo what Aaron has said; just because you really want this job does not mean you should not apply anywhere else. You don't get bonus points for not applying to other companies, and you don't commit to anything by submitting an application. Keep searching and applying until you have accepted an offer. No one will have a problem if they contact you for an interview and you say "I appreciate your interest, but I have already accepted an offer at another company." But until you get that offer, nothing is guaranteed. And the best case scenario is getting multiple offers and using that as a strong point in negotiating for salary or benefits.

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