As your junior year comes to a close, your most important interview is about to take place. And if handled correctly, your upcoming internship could lead to much more than a summer paycheck. Consider this: according to CareerBuilder 63% of graduates who complete a paid internship will receive a job offer to join their employer upon graduation. Overall, graduates with paid internship experience had average starting salaries 28% higher than their peers without internship experience. Your mission: don’t look at your internship as a summer job; think of it as a 10-week working interview. Come early, stay late. Know the industry and ask questions. Build relationships with co-workers and show enthusiasm. Even if you don’t end up working for that company after graduation, your internship and summer experience will be the first thing people see on your resume. The foundation of your professional network will be the relationships you build during your internship. Treat your internship as an extended interview and you very well may have an offer at the end of the summer. Good luck!