For many college students, internships are about gaining experience and building a resume. But for Hayes Locums consultant Lauren Stevenson, her internship became something more: the beginning of a full-time career that she loves.
After completing a summer internship at Hayes Locums, Lauren returned less than a year later as a full-time consultant. Today, she works on the gastroenterology team, helping connect physicians with locum tenens opportunities nationwide. Here’s what Lauren had to say about why Hayes Locums stood out, how she discovered a new career path, and what students embarking on their career should look for in an internship.
Why Hayes Locums Stood Out
Like many college students evaluating internship opportunities, Lauren paid close attention to company culture during her search.
“Everybody genuinely looked happy to be there,” Lauren said. “It didn’t feel overly corporate or cookie-cutter. It looked like a place where people worked hard, but also enjoyed what they were doing.”
That balance mattered to her—especially as someone moving to South Florida without already knowing people in the area. “I had never lived here before, so finding a welcoming and positive workplace was really important to me,” she said.
Thankfully, the intentional onboarding experience at Hayes Locums helped her adapt quickly. Instead of throwing interns into the deep end, Hayes Locums brings cohorts through training together, creating an environment where new hires can learn collaboratively and build confidence early.
“Hayes Locums was my first internship and my first time walking into a real office environment, so I was definitely nervous,” Lauren said of her first day as an intern. “But once we got into the training room, everyone was in the same position, learning together, and that made a huge difference. I felt comfortable and welcomed, and the environment made it easy to settle in quickly.”
Discovering an Unexpected Career Path
Lauren didn’t originally picture herself working in sales––she majored in marketing at the University of Alabama––but through her internship at Hayes Locums, she realized that she not only enjoyed sales, but could envision herself in a successful sales career.
“I never thought I’d go into sales growing up,” she said. “But after going through the internship and seeing how the role worked, I realized it was something I actually wanted to do. The internship gave me exposure to every part of the process, which made me feel prepared when I walked into the full-time role.”
During her internship, Lauren spent significant time learning the systems and workflows behind healthcare staffing operations: collaborating with multiple departments, and even presenting workflow improvement ideas directly to company leadership. That experience left a lasting impression.
“We gave suggestions on improvements to company processes, and when I came back full-time, a lot of those ideas had been implemented,” she said. “It made me feel like my opinions mattered, even as an intern. Everyone genuinely wanted to hear our ideas and make things better together.”
It was that collaborative culture that made Lauren realize she wanted to build her career at Hayes Locums.
“I remember thinking, ‘The grass probably isn’t greener somewhere else,’” she said. “I could see how successful people were here, and I genuinely enjoyed the work and the people.”
After staying connected with the Talent Acquisition team throughout her senior year, Lauren officially joined Hayes Locums full-time the following summer.
“It felt like a first day all over again,” she laughed. “But seeing familiar faces and having people genuinely excited that I was back made the transition really seamless.”
Now, as a full-time consultant with the gastroenterology team, her days revolve around supporting physicians while out on assignment, sourcing new candidates, and making sure all of her providers feel informed and supported.
“The most important thing for me is communication: making sure doctors know what’s going on, making sure they feel supported, and building trust with them,” Lauren said. “I’ve had physicians refer their friends to work with me because of the relationship we built. That communication and trust really matters.”
Building a Full-time Career from an Internship
For students looking to break into healthcare staffing, sales, recruiting, or business development, internships can offer more than experience — they can provide a direct path into a long-term career. That’s why it’s so important to find an internship that places a high priority on mentorship.
“People want you to succeed here. It’s competitive, but everyone is supportive and willing to help,” Lauren said. “The senior consultants have seen everything, so if you come to them with a problem, they’ve usually experienced it before and can help you work through it.”
Lauren’s advice for students considering internships or entry-level sales roles? Stay open.
“Be willing to learn from everyone around you,” she said. “Soak up as much information as you can. Everybody has different experiences and different ways of succeeding, and there’s something you can learn from all of them. The people who do best are the ones who stay open to learning from everyone — whether it’s someone who’s been there a month or someone who’s been there 15 years.”
Looking back, Lauren’s internship at Hayes Locums completely changed her career path. Now, she has a job where she enjoys coming into work every single day, and where she has access to mentors who are invested in her career.
“The internship helped me realize work doesn’t have to be scary or boring,” Lauren said. “You can actually enjoy what you do and enjoy the people you work with.”
