5 People You Should Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations

5 People You Should Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations are a tremendous asset to your job search. You can quickly and easily point a potential employer to your LinkedIn profile and they’ll be able to see verifiable references and recommendations of the quality of your work and the results you deliver. Positive words can be powerful motivators.

So, how do you choose the right people to request a recommendation from? And how do you know if they’ll give you a good recommendation?

1. The Happy Client

Whenever I have a client who reaches out to me to share how happy they were with our service I always politely request if I can share the feedback on my website or if they would consider giving me a recommendation on LinkedIn. Do the same! If you’re in sales and a customer or client loves your work, connect with them on LinkedIn and professionally request a recommendation.

Don’t just use the filler info that LinkedIn puts in the request; ask them specifically what you’d like them to comment on. It will help the person you are requesting the recommendation from to write a focused and specific recommendation versus a generic or broad-based recommendation that may not have as much of an impact.

2. The Team Player

When you work in a team on a specific project and the collaboration is a success, that’s the time to ask your teammates to write a recommendation for you based on the outcome and collaboration of that specific project. You can also return the favor; since you worked together you’ll be able to easily attest to their work ethic, problem solving, communication, teamwork, fresh ideas, motivation—the list goes on…

3. The Current Supervisor

Not everyone uses LinkedIn for job searching, and it’s not detrimental to your current employer to have them write a recommendation of your current accomplishments. It could actually be a great networking tool if you’re trying to find new contacts, new accounts, or new clients. New connections and people who are considering connecting will read through your recommendations. So, if you’re on LinkedIn sourcing for new clients or accounts, then ask your current supervisor to comment on the positive impact you have now. Like I mentioned before, positive words are powerful motivators.

4. The Former Supervisor

It’s always best to never burn a bridge—and even though it sometimes happens in cases where you left on good terms, it’s always a best practice to request a recommendation from a former employer. A recommendation from a former employer is a powerful job search asset; and it’s especially impressive when companies are considering you for a new position.

5. The Board Or Volunteer Head

Are you an active member of a nonprofit or involved in volunteering for a great cause? Ask someone who oversees the organization to recommend you for the work you’ve been doing. Not only is this more positive PR for your profile, but it shows your interests and desire to help others.

5 Ways To Stop Eye Damage At Work

5 Ways To Stop Eye Damage At Work

Computers have undoubtedly changed the world. They have made tasks that previously seemed impossible, possible. They allow us to instantly connect with people all over the world. They have hugely enhanced business productivity. The list goes on. However, computers can also change the way we see the world – and not in a good way!

OK, so staring at a screen for too long probably won’t make your eyes turn square like your parents used to say, but it certainly can have a very adverse impact on your vision. Long hours in front of a computer can cause you to suffer from dry eyes, blurry vision, headaches and in some cases even lead to short-sightedness or scarring of the cornea.

Let’s say you stare at your computer screen for eight hours on a working day, that’s 40 hours a week, and (let me just get my calculator out) 2080 hours a year! What makes this statistic even more frightening is that most of us then go home and proceed to stare at even more screens – mobile phones, televisions, laptops, tablets.

There are habits that can prevent eye damage at work and keep you healthy everywhere though. Here are the most important ones:

1. The 20-20-20 Rule

The what? Every 20 minutes, take your eyes off your screen for 20 seconds, and look at something 20 feet away. This rule helps to relax your eye muscles and consequently reduces eye fatigue throughout the day. Of course this is only a guideline – the 19-22-20 rule or the 17-20-25 rule will work just as well! 20-20-20 just has a nicer ring to it, don’t you think?

2. Remember To Blink!

When we stare at a screen for a prolonged period of time we tend to forget to blink! In fact, in the minute you’ve spent reading this article so far you have probably only blinked about 4 times, whereas if your eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular you would have blinked approximately 12 times! Blinking frequently is essential as it helps to lubricate the eyes and keep them from feeling dry and irritated.

3. Set Up Your Desk Ergonomically

Having a bad desk layout is one of the most common reasons for eyestrain in the workplace, and one of the easiest to fix. Your eyes should be in line with or just below the top of your computer screen, which should be approximately 20-30 inches away from your eyes. It is also important to ensure that your computer screen is unaffected by glare from ceiling lights or windows.

4. Find A Comfortable Level Of Brightness

This works two-fold in that the brightness of both your screen and your surroundings are equally as important for maintaining healthy eyes in the office. Your computer screen should not seem any brighter or darker than the lighting in your office. If you’re struggling to read what is on your screen, or similarly if your screen is an obvious light source (as in the photo above) then change the settings!

5. Take Short Breaks

This tip is similar to the 20-20-20 rule in that it gives your eye muscles a chance to relax. What I always see in my office is people browsing the web on their lunch hour – but this is the perfect opportunity to get away from your computer and give your eyes a break! It is also important to take short breaks throughout the day – this can be making yourself a cup of tea or even just walking to the printer and back (make sure you actually print something or this can look a bit weird).

Self-Learning: 3 Ways To Invest In Knowledge

Self-Learning: 3 Ways To Invest In Knowledge

Every successful entrepreneur is always learning. You’ll never hear Warren Buffet say “That’s it, I know enough. No need to learn anything more” – and that’s because the moment you do that, life starts to pass you by.

Change is constant, and while there’s no need to stress yourself out by trying to keep on top of every new thing that comes along, you can achieve great results in your life by keeping abreast of just a few. You can’t control everything in life but you can manage yourself. You can find out more about self-learning and taking action. Below are three ways you can invest in knowledge.

1. Learn, Learn – And Learn Some More

Successful people study a lot – whether it be e-books, in-car audio courses, relevant vlogs, or scanning the financial pages each morning. You can’t expect to stand in the sun if you keep yourself deliberately in the dark. Get your hands on Mark Douglas’ Trading In The Zone, or T. Harv Ecker’s Secrets of The Millionaire Mind. Read the autobiographies of millionaires and billionaires you admire – it’s like keeping good company.

As you may not make Sir Richard Branson’s appointment list just yet, get as close as you can. Read his book, follow his tweets – whatever it takes to get and keep you inspired on your own journey. A word of caution though; knowledge without action achieves nothing. Don’t forget your own story in the thrall of those already written.

2. Find A Like-Minded Company

You may have noticed that there are two kinds of people in your life; those who encourage your ambitions and those who point out why they will never work. Sometimes those who do the latter can be helpful – provided their input leads you to constructive action. For the most part, however, you probably find spending time with those who back your play boosts your mood, heightens your confidence, and keeps you happily on task.

Being with those who believe we can achieve what we set out to do – or at least that our journey is worthwhile – gives us a boost. Surrounding yourself with positive people pays emotional and mental dividends. In short, these friends help keep your head right and your goal-focused mindset, well, set and steady – especially when your doubts surface. That’s when you need your like- minded company the most. Cultivating and maintaining these relationships is an investment in yourself and your future.

3. Listen

There are often opportunities to attend events where we can hear from our mentors and industry-leading players. Get along to as many of these as you can – and when you do, be conscious of the time you’re investing and make the most of it. It can be difficult to switch off our mind chatter, but there’s little point in making the time in your busy life to listen to a top trader or entrepreneur if you spend the whole talk stressing about your upcoming performance review at the job you’re working your way out of, or that upcoming dinner with your in-laws… or whatever it may be.

If it helps, set yourself a knowledge goal every time you tune in to learn – maybe three new changes to take away and try? Maybe five? Whatever it may be, give yourself over to being inspired and switch off the ‘other stuff,’ just for a while. It’ll still be there in a couple of hours.

Learning new skills and ways of thinking outside a traditional study environment isn’t easy. It takes discipline and a special kind of focus, but if you make the commitment and follow through you will see the results. Of all the investments you make in life, investing in your own education is the most important, and offers the greatest returns.

3 Rules For Effective Informational Interviewing

3 Rules For Effective Informational Interviewing

Have you ever had an “informational interview?” If you have, then you may know what I am talking about but if you haven’t, here is a brief explanation.

An informational interview is a tool to help job seekers, career transitioners, and even college students, understand a particular job or field they are considering moving towards.

It is a brief conversation – either on the phone or in person – in which the person seeking the new career is “interviewing” the person currently in the role or field of study.

The goal is to learn about the perception versus reality of an area of interest.

I did this when I was first looking into coaching. It was the best thing I could have done. I wasn’t sure career coaching was what I wanted to focus on. By speaking to real coaches in various areas of expertise, I got a true picture of the training and experience necessary and even the lifestyle/schedule.

Before digging into how to have an effective interview, there are a few key differences between a regular job interview and an informational interview I want you to understand. The informational interview is targeted at:

• Keeping it brief
• Information gathering – mostly one sided
• The person in the job you most want to investigate

On the other hand, a formal job interview is:

• Much longer
• With multiple interviewers, both parties are interviewing each other
• The job seeker is the core person being interviewed by a hiring manager(s)

The pressure is on you. However, with an informational interview the pressure is significantly lowered, but not gone. This tactic if done well can help you decide if you want to go into this area, add connections to your network, and possibly gain you a job opportunity at that company or elsewhere. This person may know of other opportunities for you to investigate at their competitors or partners.

So, the pressure is never off. You still must bring your “A” game.

It is a tool fantastic tool to utilize. Many times people are willing to help in your research however they can. But keep a few “rules” in mind to have your informational interviews be truly successful.

Some “rules” of information interviewing:

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Never “wing it.” Prepare as you would for anything truly important. This shows respect to the person you are interviewing. Know where you are meeting and how long it will take to get there, if this is in person. If it is on the phone, have the correct number and time. Confirm the details the day before. If in person, again dress appropriately which means professional. Develop your questions in advance and have them in priority order.

Some great questions to ask in an informational interview:

• How did you get into this field?
• What are your core roles and responsibilities?
• What is the favorite part of your job?
• What do you most dislike?
• Here is my interest and background (keep it brief). How might you suggest I break into the field?
• What training or education is required?
• What associations do you belong to?
• What publications do you read to keep up with your field?

Finally, be prepared to keep to the allotted time. If the plan is 20 minutes, based on your conversation when you booked the interview, keep to it. Again this shows respect for the person’s time. If this is a positive experience for the person being interviewed they will mostly likely offer up their time again to others.

2. Research, Research, Research

Research not only the company this person is employed by but even more importantly, the person. Find out all there is to know about the person you are going to talk to. Their background, time at the company, length of time in the field, and any common area of interest. This common area of interest will help you trulyconnect with them.

That is the key.

Make a connection and you will have an alley, encourager, and possibly colleague in the future. Some of the coaches I did informational interviews with years ago are now my colleagues and I love that!

Research them on Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo. Work to understand as much as you can about that person. Just like preparation and research pays off in a formal interview, so it will, in an informational interview when the pressure is not nearly as high.

3. Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up

Be professional and thankful for the time this person spent with you.

Follow up with a values-based thank-you e-mail, within 24 hours of your meeting.

Also send a handwritten thank-you card. That too needs to be in the mail within 24 hours.

Yes, this is “old fashioned,” but tells the person you appreciated their time enough to actually write a “real” note. Trust me. It makes an impression of your character, whether you do or don’t send thank-you notes and e-mails. I make this same recommendation for a formal job interview.

I mean let’s be practical.

The e-mail gets there quicker and is easier to type up. The handwritten truly shows your appreciation.

Send both!

Be sure to follow up on recommendations or connections this person makes for you. Let them know what came of their connections and suggestions and exactly how it helped. This again shows good character and also keeps you in their mind for future news and opportunities they may hear about.

I strongly suggest the informational interview to see what is perception versus reality in a field you are interested in.

What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You

What Your Interview Body Language Reveals About You

Poor body language can derail an interview regardless of how confident and well-spoken you are. Body language is as much a part of your communication style as what you say verbally – it’s really about how you say it. Impressions are made within seconds of reviewing body language.

Consider the first step to entering an interview – the handshake. While it may take less than 10 seconds to complete a handshake, in that time, the interviewer has already developed an impression of your character based on eye contact and the firmness of your shake.

A weak handshake and lack of eye contact can leave the impression you are timid and insecure. A sincere and firm handshake with eye contact expresses professionalism and confidence. An overpowering handshake with a fixed gaze may come across as overconfident and arrogant. So, be cautious with your next handshake and start the interview off with a positive impression.

In an interview, body language is present from head-to-toe. Consider the following:

Posture

Whether you are sitting or standing, your posture projects a level of confidence and engagement in the conversation. When one slumps, it implies to the interviewer a lack of confidence and interest. Sitting stiff as a rock implies nervousness and it creates an uncomfortable situation for building rapport. Sitting at the tip of the chair implies you don’t want to be there.

Lying back on the chair with your ankle on top of your other knee may come off appearing unprofessional and too relaxed. In general, crossing your arms and legs may be interpreted as building a barrier.

Related: 8 Body Language Mistakes You’re Making During Interviews

To project professionalism, confidence, and engagement, consider sitting on the chair with your lower back touching or close to the back panel while leaning 10 degrees forward. Keep your hands relaxed in your lap and feet grounded on the floor. When standing, avoid crossing your arms or placing them in your pockets. The point is to project a balanced posture that is not limp or overly stiff.

Eye Contact

Eye contact allows you and the interviewer to connect beyond words alone. However, there is a fine balance between good eye contact and when eye contact becomes a weird gaze or stare that can make the other person feel uncomfortable. When you stare without having breaks in between, a casual conversation can come across as a lecture.

Whether you are listening or speaking, maintain eye contact with your interviewer for a couple of seconds at a time (no more than 7 to 10 seconds) and then glance away before returning eye contact again. If you are looking down to take notes, look up occasionally, especially when it appears a special point is being made or when you are asked a question.

Voice

Speed, tone, and pitch combined presents an impression. Talking too fast can be hard to understand and appear as nervousness. When your tone projects apology or defense, you can come across as unconfident and insecure. When you don’t make changes between your tone and pitch, you can sound monotone, making it more difficult for the other person to stay engaged.

Learn to take control of your voice. If you are nervous, it can come across in your pitch, so take a breath to help you relax before speaking. Be conscious of your tone and pitch to offer variation and to help emphasize certain points.

Bobble Head

Some people have a tendency to bobble their head as a gesture of agreement, but when you nod in excess during a conversation, it becomes a distraction and can be interpreted as though you are agreeing on everything for the sake of wanting to please. You can lose credibility in such instances.

To avoid appearing like a bobble head, nod occasionally to show you are still engaged and have control over how you nod. You can also tilt your head slightly to the side as though you are trying to listen more carefully as another way to show you are engaged.

Extremities

There are people who do certain things out of habit, such as flaring arms while talking, twirling hair, playing with a pen in hand, rocking back and forth on a chair and shaking or thumping their feet. Many of these actions occur unconsciously, however, these are distractions to the person you are speaking to and may be perceived as signs you are bored or have trouble focusing. Some people also touch their nose or face frequently when they are nervous. An interviewer may perceive this as a sign you are not being totally honest.

Be conscious of what you do with your hands, legs and feet and that will help you take control of your movements.

Be aware of your own body language and also read your interviewer’s body language to give you hints about how she is responding to you. The interview may start off very formal, but as you both become acquainted with one another, the mood may relax and you may adapt your body language to reflect what you sense from the interviewer.

There is no absolute rule around body language, but it would be wise to avoid any chance of being misinterpreted. You can properly prepare your body language before heading into an interview by watching yourself in the mirror act out how you introduce yourself and speak. Another helpful way is to have someone interview you and video record the entire session. Review how you present yourself and become aware of problem areas to adjust before your interview.

How To Prepare For A Job InterviewvYou5.99

How To Prepare For A Job Interview

It’s perfectly normal to be a little anxious when you’re preparing for a job interview. In fact, many people rank interviewing for a new job with other nerve-wracking activities like public speaking and going to the dentist. There’s a lot riding on your interview performance, so it’s understandable to feel this way.

However, there are some simple steps you can take to better prepare for a job interview.

1. Do Your Homework

Most companies have an online presence, so it should be relatively easy for you to learn about the company. You should also familiarize yourself with the position for which you are interviewing. If possible, print out a copy of the position description and take it with you to the interview. Be sure to bring a few extra copies of your resume in case an interviewer needs a hard copy during the interview.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

Interviewing is a learned skill and the best candidates practice, practice and practice some more to prepare for a job interview.

For college candidates, there may be opportunities through career services to participate in mock interviews. A mock interview is usually conducted by an employer, a career services professional or a professor. Essentially, you will be interviewing for a pretend job. Mock interviews are helpful because they can relieve you of nervousness and the interviewers usually are able to provide some feedback on your interview skills.

For more seasoned candidates, opportunities to prepare for a job interview may also exist with local workforce services offices and career coaches. Another option is to ask a friend or family member to “role play” an interview with you. If you have access to a webcam or video camera, try recording your “performance” and reviewing the areas where you need improvement.

3. Know The Interview Lingo

Many companies are utilizing behavioral interview techniques. Behavioral interviewing requires the job candidate to provide a situation and then describe the task that comprised the situation, the actions that were taken and the result or outcome.

Questions may be posed to you in a format of “tell me about a time when…” or “give me an example of a time when…” This allows you to share previous work (paid or volunteer) or classroom experiences and the interviewer is able to ascertain what you learned from the experience. Many companies prefer to use this interviewing technique because it provides information on a candidate that isn’t likely to be included on a resume.

4. Sell Yourself And Build The Business Case

Candidates should think about the business case of why they should be hired. The interviewer needs to have a compelling reason to extend an offer to a candidate. Job candidates should think about their knowledge, skills and abilities and how these would benefit the organization that is hiring.

33 Questions Employers Ask At Interviews

33 Questions Employers Ask At Interviews

With hundreds of Internet pages dedicated to types of interview questions and all listing the same “general” type questions (what are your strengths, where do you see yourself in 10 years, etc.), employers are now steering away from these types of questions and introducing a new set of questions that test your creativity and flair.

Below is a list of questions employers ask at interviews that you may not have thought about previously. Think about how you would answer these questions for homework:

1. If you had the option, would you change your college career?
2. How do you go about deciding what to do first when given a project?
3. What are the most important rewards you expect in your business career?
4. Provide an example of how you are a risk taker.
5. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
6. Why do you want to work for us and not for our competitor?
7. What did you think of your previous manager/supervisor?
8. What did you do in your last job to increase value?
9. What are some of the things that bother you?
10. Tell me about the last time you felt anger on the job.
11. Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are you self-motivated?
12. What management style gets the best results out of you?
13. How can our company offer you what your previous company could not offer?
14. How long do you think it would take before you were making a significant contribution to our business?
15. How ambitious are you? Would you compete for my job?
16. What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing?
17. Why did you choose a career in… ?
18. What do you think is the most important dilemma facing our business today?
19. How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences?
20. Why did you decide to join your previous company? Did the job live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now?
21. Explain the organizational structure and hierarchy in your last company and how you fitted into it. Did this suit you?
22. Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company?
23. What interests you about our company, product or service?
24. You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope/succeed?
25. Do you consider yourself successful in your career to date?
26. What was your greatest success in your professional career? How did you achieve it?
27. What has been your biggest failure in your professional career?
28. Did you feel you advanced and progressed in your last job?
29. How do you handle criticism?
30. What would you like to avoid in your next job?
31. How did you get on with your previous manager, supervisor, co-workers, and subordinates?
32. What will your references say about you?
33. Fantasy question… what would you do if you won the lottery? Would you come to work tomorrow?

6 Interview Tips That Will Leave Them Wanting More

6 Interview Tips That Will Leave Them Wanting More

Cracking the code of the behavioral interview is the holy grail for those who find themselves having to go through human resources on the way to the next career position. Let’s focus on style, not content. Until we have the right style in front of people, our content matters little.

Accept the premise that a job interview or any other business interaction is simply a subset of human social interaction. Like talking with your neighbor, classmate, or a potential romantic target. We are still dealing with human beings here. Let’s not over complicate it.

Here are a few interview tips that will leave interviewers wanting more:

1. Have The Right Mindset

Mindset is critical. Know thyself so well that the opponent’s moves stimulate an immediate counter routine from you. Control the room, but do so in a way that it won’t be obvious you are running the interaction. Be comfortable articulating a personal value proposition then bridge to why the position and company could be a fit, but you’re unsure and want to use the interview to find out more.

2. Be The Alpha

That last piece is important because it puts the interviewer in position if selling the position and the company to you. The one who has to sell to the other is the beta in the interaction. The beta is not in control. Be the alpha. They can smell desperation. People are attracted to alphas. Be able to take or leave the job. Fake it if you must. Think of it as walking next to a lake and putting one foot in the water. You wouldn’t dive in headfirst before you knew it was safe and the water temperature was to your liking right? Same concept.

3. Be Likable

The first part of any interaction is to cross the threshold from being an unknown commodity to becoming one that is known. If the interviewer doesn’t know you and like you yet, then your skills are irrelevant until you become known and liked.

In short, style is more important than substance in the initial part of the interaction. Eye contact. Gestures. Breathing. Steadiness of voice. Establishing rapport. It all matters. Read books on the subject. If you need the position, practice in front of a camera until the neediness disappears from your communication, verbal and non. Be cool. Be liked.

4. Communicate Effectively

I am a student of women. Love them. Enjoy their company. Fascinating creatures. Communicating effectively with them is critical for life happiness. Case in point – that shooting in California is an extreme example of the descent into a personal hell if someone fails to crack the code of social interaction. Both sexes speak the same verbal language, but that is where similarities end.

Only 7% of communication is verbal. That leaves 93% of the interaction that needs to be interpreted visually between the parties. Women evaluate a man’s potential by observing non-verbals. A wise man will, likewise, carefully observe a woman’s non-verbals for clues on how the interaction is going and where to go next.

Interviewing for a job is quite similar to recreational social interaction. Self-absorbed people will fail to understand the needs of the conversation partner and, consequently, send out signals that are not customized to their conversation partner and will also be unable to read the signals being sent back from their partner. Get out of your own head and focus on the needs of the other person. The conversation focus should be about them.

5. Use Mirroring

Match their body language. Match their communication style. People want to communicate with people like themselves so give ‘em what they want. If mirroring is a new term, do an Internet search and use this as a learning opportunity. This layers on to the revelation that a shockingly high amount of communication between people is done non-verbally and to use this for our benefit, we must focus our attention on the other person. Only after we complete this step, can we mirror effectively.

6. Tease Them A Little

Cats love string, but only if you show it to them briefly, then jerk it away, then reveal it again. They want to be off-balance. They get bored quickly unless there is a challenge. Hand a cat a ball of string and walk away… then you have a bored cat.

Same goes for a smooth operator in a social setting. I call this “string theory.” Offer a compelling value proposition to the target, then pull back, then offer more compelling content, leaving them off balance and wanting more. Same goes for a successful interviewee. As I alluded to earlier, have prepackaged content in the form of well rehearsed stories that include body language that matches the verbal content.

If the conversation partner is nodding, smiling, touching their face and neck, and building on your conversation strings, then congratulations… success. Now they will actually listen to your content. Until we pass the style test, our content can never see the light of day. Give it the attention it deserves.

Why You Should Do An Online Internship

Why You Should Do An Online Internship

Whether you are already enrolled in a distance learning program or you plan to be soon, thinking about your future career is probably on the forefront of your mind. Since most people getting an online degree are doing so for their future career, it’s no surprise students want to know what types of career services are offered.

Some schools will provide you with job placement services, but certain types of degrees will require more effort to get a job. Many industries are looking for people with experience and new graduates don’t always fit the bill.

However, if you can find an online internship with a company in the same industry, you can get experience to land a full time, permanent position.

Finding An Online Internship

Since you’re in distance learning, you’ll probably be using the Internet for finding the internship as well. Depending on the type of degree you’re going for, the internship might be local or online.

Typically, internships completely online are for jobs like writing, graphic design, or other virtual careers.

If you already know of companies in your area that accept interns, that’s the place to start. Other than that, a simple Internet search should get you some resources. Also, check different social media networks; many companies will post internship opportunities there.

Benefits Of An Online Internship

Although you’re focusing on your coursework and will soon have a degree, it can be hard finding a job in the beginning.

The biggest benefit to online internships is that they help you gain valid work experience to put on your resume. Not only that, but the employer can provide you with an excellent reference and recommendation.

If you’re looking for a career that’s home-based, you will need to find an online internship. This shows future employers that you’re capable of working on your own with very minimal supervision and meeting the deadlines set for you.

Getting Employment

After you’re finished with your online internship, contact the person you were working for to ask for a reference. If you did your due diligence before accepting the internship, you should already know they are willing to give you a reference.

You will now have experience in your field of expertise and something to put on your resume. When looking for a full-time, permanent position, be sure to let them know what experience you have, who the internship was for, and the type of work that you did.