Looking to turn your internship into a full-time role? We’ve got you covered! Our interns gain invaluable hands-on experience, get to know our dynamic company culture, and can find out if Stryker is the perfect fit for their career aspirations. And for those determined to continue their journey with us, we’ve got some insider tips from former Stryker interns who successfully converted their internship to a full-time position.
1. Make your career aspirations known early
“Start conversations around your career at Stryker during your mid-summer review! By communicating with your manager, they can be a great ally in helping you find where you fit within Stryker full-time or for another internship. There are so many opportunities at Stryker! Continue to have those conversations into the end of the summer and come up with a gameplan leading into the next school year.”– Lauren P. | Intern class of 2021 | Quality Assurance Engineer | Texas
2. Take advantage of networking opportunities
“The biggest piece of advice that I can offer to an intern is to meet as many people as possible during your internship. Everyone is so welcoming and wants to help you learn, you get exposure to a variety of different functions, and you build your network which can be a big help when it comes time to look at full-time roles. There’s no limit to who you can meet with, each person is excited to watch you grow in your career. Plus, it makes your transition into a full-time role much smoother!”– Mykel D. | Intern class of 2021 | Marketing Associate | Michigan
“My advice for an intern hoping to convert to full-time after their internship is to spend time networking with full-time employees across the company. Many students enter their internship hyper-focused on obtaining a specific role within the company after graduation without knowing if that specific role truly aligns with their strengths and interests. I found my current role through meeting with employees on various teams and learning what their day-to-day was like. Networking not only provides exposure to an environment to learn more about different positions within a company, but also provides an easy way to establish positive working relationships with individuals who will likely be helpful during the job hunt, or years later if your paths cross again. It’s a small world!” – Brittany G. | Intern class of 2016-17 | Staff Advanced Quality Assurance Engineer | New Jersey
“Meet everyone! Take time to set up one-on-ones with people in and outside of your department. Forging connections is tremendously powerful, and you never know when those connections will come back around. When I was up for full-time hire, one of my biggest advocates in the room was my mentor from a completely different department that I met solely because I reached out and set up time with her during my internship. It opens you up to different opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise be aware of, mentors you didn’t know existed, and friendships you may have never found. Use your time wisely during your internship and never pass up the opportunity to meet someone new!” - Morgan K. | Intern class of 2016 | Staff Design Engineer | Colorado
3. Get a holistic picture of Stryker – not just the team you’re on
“If you were to look at the career path of most Stryker employees, there’s a good chance that they have worked across multiple divisions, in varying roles for different managers. Try not to feel tied down by choosing the “perfect role” for your first full-time position. Find something you enjoy and go for it.” – Troy C. | Intern class of 2012 | Sr. Global Training & Product Launch Manager | Amsterdam
“One thing an intern can do to stand out among their peers is to build an understanding of a variety of roles within the company. It is always beneficial to explore different career paths at Stryker to see what roles resonate with you most, but developing a wholistic picture of the company also demonstrates deep interest and willingness to learn.” – Ilissa H. | Intern class of 2019 | Senior Engineer | New Jersey
“During your internship, focus on impressing not only your immediate team but also other teams within your function, cross-functional partners, and even partners at other Stryker sites or divisions. Mobility is common at Stryker, and increasing your network will help increase your opportunity for returning full-time at Stryker.” – Valerie C. | Intern class of 2016 - 17 | Staff Engineer | New Jersey
“While a Stryker internship is usually focused on one specific role & team within the company, Stryker is a multifaceted organization with a multitude of opportunities. Taking the initiative to meet & learn from colleagues across business units & divisions can help you gain a better understanding of the company. By doing so, you will understand how the various functions across the organization contribute to our mission of making healthcare better.” – Alison M. | Intern class of 2019-20 | Marketing Communications Lead | New Jersey
4. Immerse yourself in the #StrykerInternship experience
“Our best interns build relationships and a network of support early by fully integrating themselves into the teams they’re working with. They pull people into their projects making it a collaborative effort by asking for input, and leveraging their colleagues for insight, feedback, and support. This ensures that their projects achieve the intended outcome and avoids the pitfalls of delivering a solution that doesn’t live on in the business.” – Eric E. | Intern class of 2010 | Sr. Director, Business Transformation | Michigan
5. Ask questions and be open to learning
“When joining a company like Stryker it’s easy to forget that no one begins their career as a great business leader or expert. Everyone you’ll be working with was, at some point, just getting their start. Use this time to find people who see you and bring out your best. Work hard, ask questions, and don’t try so hard to fit a mold that you forget to learn! Do so with humility, kindness, and consistent respect and authenticity for your teammates. Do that and you’ll be off to a great start – we’re are all rooting for you.“ – Taylor H. | Intern class of 2015 | Sr. Project Manager | Michigan
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions! While it can be intimidating to admit that you don’t know something, asking questions will expand your knowledge, help you be more effective at your role, and demonstrate your eagerness to learn.” – Katrina D. | Intern class of 2018 | Senior Engineer | New Jersey
“Be the one who asks questions. You're not supposed to be a subject matter expert. You’re not supposed to sound like you’ve been here before. You're supposed to be an intern and you’re here to learn.” – Troy C. | Intern class of 2012 | Sr. Global Training & Product Launch Manager | Amsterdam
“The most important advice I have for any Stryker intern is to be open to learning. Use your time as an intern to either learn new skills or build upon existing skills you have. In addition, learn more about the business, and network with other teams and even employees in other locations to build a general understanding of the company landscape and the direction the company is going in. Try not to have tunnel vision for the projects you have. Although it is important to deliver on the projects you’re given, it is also expected that you spend time learning about the business and the ways in which different teams impact the company’s objectives. Doing this helps you broaden your network and understanding of the company which can be very helpful when you are trying to plan out your next semester's class schedule, determine what your next internship should be, or even apply to full-time roles in the future.” – Zafe U. | Intern class of 2021 | Manufacturing Engineer | California
6. Create lasting impact
“Our most successful interns find a way for their projects to continue long after they are gone. That can come in the form of best practice guides, training full-time employees, or integrating their projects into the long-term process. Our interns are working on important projects we want to sustain, so it always stands out when they leave but their impact continues!” - Hannah E. | Intern class of 2010 | Director, Customer Excellence | Michigan
“An internship is not just about the great things you learn, but about the great things you can teach your company; that is what shows truly high value. What ways can you solve their problems that they’ve never seen before? How can you take the task that is in front of you, and not only solve their problem but solve it in a way that they haven’t seen before?” – Riley B. | Intern class of 2013 and 2014 | Supply Chain Manager | Illinois
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